The Strongest Bond
by Lotus Fantasy
Summary: AU: In the country of the Hidden Leaf, Shinobi enroll in The Academy to become bonded pairs: a ninja who can transform into a powerful weapon, and the ninja who wields it. Naruto Uzumaki is thrilled to receive his acceptance letter, and he's determined to bond with the strongest ninja, Sasuke Uchiha, by year's end. There's just one problem: the guy's an asshole. NaruSasu
1. The Academy

**Warnings:** AU, language (A LOT of swearing), violence, gore, drug use, bastardized Itachi (and possibly rather OOC), citrus

 **Note:** I took my pirate story off for now. I might repost it some day, but right now I just have no inspiration. I received just enough negative feedback about the OOCness I started to feel that way myself, haha. I don't like having incomplete stories I have no intention of finishing.

There isn't really OOCness in this story (except as mentioned above).

* * *

 **Dream Big or Go Home**

Every young boy and girl in the country wanted to attend The Academy. They dreamed of it from the time they were old enough to understand the honor and prestige of receiving an education there. For there was no other place in the country of the Hidden Leaf, Konoha, where an individual could receive the training to join the Imperial Army as one of the coveted Shinobi bonded pairs.

Naruto Uzumaki had been working toward this goal from pretty much the moment of his birth. He knew he would become a bonded pair, he would join the Army, and he would rise in the ranks and eventually take over the country of Konoha as Hokage.

It required all his focus, dedication, and attention to receive high enough scores and honors in school to be accepted into The Academy, and when he received his letter he was overjoyed. His jubilation lasted for two straight weeks before his three closest friends finally had enough.

"Jeez, man, I'm tired of all the noise!" Kiba Inuzuka complained.

"So bothersome," Shikamaru Nara grumbled.

"It's messing with my appetite!" Choji Akimichi whined.

Naruto accused them of ganging up and being unfair, since all three of them had also been accepted into The Academy, and why weren't they as excited as he?

When the first day of classes finally arrived, the four friends made their way to the campus together. This was the place, Naruto thought, he would be spending the next four years of his life. Students lived on campus to develop their skills together, making them a more cohesive unit should they join the Army. His eyes took in the sprawling collection of buildings that made up the land's most desired school.

The Academy's central building stood some twenty stories tall, rising in a graceful spire in the center of campus. The buildings surrounding it had all been constructed to draw attention to this central building, a feat of architecture Naruto took long moments to appreciate. The remaining buildings numbered well over thirty, and he amused himself with trying to picture which of them were the famed sparring halls.

"Look at it!" Kiba said, eyes practically glowing. "Can't believe we're gonna be living here for the next four years!"

"Ugh, it's so big," Shikamaru muttered. "It'll be troublesome navigating. It's a whole city in there."

"I wonder what the food's like?" Choji said, hand digging constantly into his bag of chips.

Naruto folded his hands behind his head. "We're gonna take this place by storm. They ain't never seen anyone like me, before!"

"No one's seen anyone like you before," Kiba said, elbowing Naruto. "You're a weird freak."

"Oy, says the dog-for-brains!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping on him.

A few minutes of tussling later, the four sixteen-year-old boys finally made their way to the central building where new students were checking in for orientation. Naruto was slightly surprised by the sheer number of them. _There have to be at least one-thousand of them._ For a moment, the volume daunted him.

Then he steeled his spine. _Doesn't matter how many are my competition. I'll beat them all for the top spot!_

It took half an hour to get checked in, then the four friends made their way to an enormous auditorium and picked seats by each other. To Naruto's delight, there were two cute girls right beside him. He immediately gave them his wide, fox-grin.

"Hiya!" he greeted them. "I'm Naruto!"

The taller one, a pretty blonde with blue eyes, grinned. "Ino," she said, tossing her long ponytail over her shoulder. "This is Sakura."

Sakura, a cutie with pink hair and jade eyes, gave Naruto a warm smile. "Nice to meet you."

Before they could really get a conversation going, a woman walked onto the raised stage and called for the new students to sit down and quiet down. When the hall had more or less quieted, she cleared her throat.

"I am Assistant Director Shizune," she said. "Welcome to the Academy, and congratulations for making it this far. I am the department head of Student Relations, so if any of you ever find yourselves having difficulties, I'm the one to talk to. Now, allow me to introduce the Academy Director, Tsunade."

A tall woman with an impressive chest and blonde hair took the stage.

"Welcome to The Academy," she said. "Many of you know of the training that goes on here from friends, family, or reports. I can confirm that much of what you have heard is true, but I want to assure you those reports would only scratch the surface.

"This is the most prestigious school in the country," she went on, "for many reasons, but the one I'm sure excites all of you the most is our training program for bonded Shinobi pairs."

A murmur rippled through the hall.

Tsunade smiled. "You will each one of you get your chance to take part in this training. However, you outnumber your potential partners by nearly three to one. That means, only one third of you will actually get the opportunity to bond and form a team. Naturally, competition will be stiff. You were all accepted, meaning you all excelled at the skills for which we search. Only the very best of you will graduate a bonded Shinobi pair."

Naruto leaned forward a little in excitement.

"Now, as you know," Tsunade continued, "there are two halves to the Shinobi teams. All of you gathered possess the skills of Controller, those with the ability to take another form. The other half, the Coordinators, possess the rare and unique catalytic skill necessary to spark the transformation. The Coordinators begin their training four months before your own, so your fellow first-years are already here. As you begin classes, you are all encouraged to spend any free time in the sparring halls and practice fighting with as many of each other as you can.

"Simply put," she said, "the more Coordinators with whom you fight, the better your chances of finding the one with whom you want to pair. Of course, no students are allowed to bond until the successful end of their first year, and only those who bond continue on to the second year of the Shinobi program. The remaining students will continue with regular courses and enlist in the Army as soldiers.

"There are only a few things we require of first year students," Tsunade concluded, "that I must go over before I introduce the department heads. First, you are all a credit to your villages and families. Be proud of your accomplishments thus far. Second, not bonding with a Coordinator does not make you a failure. There are many other areas for students to shine. And third, Controllers are monitored very carefully for any signs of abuse toward the Coordinators. We do not allow that sort of behavior, and even the slightest hint of it will result in immediate expulsion with no chance to re-enroll at any point in the future."

Tsunade paused as if to let those words sink in. Then she smiled. "Now that's over with, allow me to introduce the heads of each training program."

~o0o~

Orientation lasted another three hours, and by the end Naruto was dying from boredom. Shikamaru had long fallen asleep, Kiba was squirming like a two-year-old, and Choji hadn't stopped eating snacks even once. When Tsunade _finally_ dismissed everyone, he all but bolted out of the hall. The students were divvied into about two-dozen groups, some large, some small.

Naruto wound up in a group with Kiba, Sakura, and about forty others to receive a tour of campus from the Program Director of the Shinobi training program. Naruto inwardly cheered his luck. This man was the one for whom he needed to make sure he worked his absolute hardest.

"Yo," the man said, most of his face obscured by a mask and forehead protector. His only visible eye squinted as if he were smiling. "Kakashi Hatake. You were all chosen to be my charges for a specific reason. You show some of the most prominent qualities we look for in Controllers, scoring the highest overall in combative tests or control of your forms. A few of you even have more than one form."

Naruto puffed up his chest, immediately raising his hand. "Kakashi-sensei!" he exclaimed. "I have _three_!"

Kakashi turned toward him, doing that squint-smile thing with his eye again. "Yes, yes. Very rare and impressive. Typically Controllers who have more than one form have terrible control."

Some of the others sniggered.

Naruto folded his arms, half glaring, half sulking.

Kakashi chuckled. "Well, I suppose we'll find out. Follow me, I'm supposed to show you around."

The Program Director led them all around the grounds. He showed them the dormitory halls, the lecture halls, the classrooms, the infirmary, and the faculty offices. Then he brought them to the impressive east wing, where were located all the sparring halls.

"These doors are locked after ten pm," he said, "and open at five in the morning. Students are free to come and go at any of the hours between. Simply, the more you spar with Coordinators, the more likely one will be to find you a suitable match."

"Ne, sensei?" Naruto asked. "Does The Academy have any say in who pairs with who?"

"With _whom_ ," Kakashi corrected. "And for the most part, no. The choice is left to the Coordinators. The only time a teacher would intervene is if he or she suspected abuse or manipulation of some kind."

Interesting. Naruto resolved to make himself known to the Coordinators as soon as absolutely possible. He needed to blow his competition out of the water right away.

"Do Controllers and Coordinators have the same classes?" Sakura asked.

"No," Kakashi replied. "Unlike you guys, Coordinators are given special training from a very young age since that ability is much rarer. They're usually put into advanced classes. Academically, they will already know everything taught to you Controllers."

Naruto nodded, frowning thoughtfully. Made sense.

"But don't worry," Kakashi went on. "Any Controllers who bond at the end of the year are put into the same advanced classes so they can catch up to their Coordinator."

The rest of the tour, Naruto hardly paid any attention. All he could think about was getting his shot at paring up with the Coordinators and working his way to becoming a bonded Shinobi.

Orientation lasted until dinner time. Since the Coordinators weren't anywhere around on just this one day, Naruto went to his assigned room. To his delight, Kiba was his roommate.

"Man, I'm so excited I could piss myself!" Kiba exclaimed, giving Naruto a high-five. "I can't wait until tomorrow after our morning classes so we can meet the Coordinators and start!"

"Yeah, me too!" Naruto enthused. "How are we supposed to sleep!"

Somehow, as soon as he laid down to close his eyes, he drifted off.

 **~*o0o*~**

For the first time in memory, Naruto woke up before his alarm. Remembering what today was, he sprang out of bed, instantly wide awake. He and Kiba worked around each other in the small dorm, both wearing shit-eating grins as they finished getting ready and ran side-by-side to the dining hall.

Only a couple dozen students were this early, and among them were Choji and Shikamaru. The four friends reunited, Choji already chowing down with enthusiasm and Shikamaru looking bored as usual.

"Man, I can't wait until the two-hour lunch break today!" Naruto said as they sat together. "I'm going straight to the sparring halls! You guys gonna come, too?"

"Of course!" Kiba said.

"Yep," Choji agreed, "after lunch. Shika?"

Shikamaru gave a bored sound. "I guess."

Not for the first time, Naruto wondered why his unmotivated friend had even enrolled at The Academy. He didn't even know if the other teen really wanted to be here.

After breakfast, classes started at nine. The four friends all had different classes, so they separated with waves, and Naruto gave Kiba an excited grin. He tried to pay attention through class, but it was purely scholastic and he got bored. It was the same all morning, but finally it was time for lunch.

He and Kiba met as promised, but there was no sign of either Choji or Shikamaru. "Oh well," Naruto said, shrugging. "We can go together."

So it was in the dining hall, crowded in with a bunch of other first years, that he first clapped eyes on this year's Coordinators.

Somehow, they were easy to tell from the Controllers. They had an entirely different aura about them, and Naruto found his eyes eagerly scanning over them, trying to guess which were skilled, who among them were the most powerful. The entire room was brimming with potential.

And he was about halfway done hurrying through lunch when he first saw _him_.

Three Coordinators entered the dining hall at the far end with an entry that commanded attention. They were a striking trio, the tallest with dark brown hair and strange, pale eyes. The one a little shorter had red hair and pale green eyes, dark-rimmed as though chronically sleep-deprived.

But it was the third, the shortest one in the middle, that captured and held Naruto's attention.

His features were striking. Moon-pale skin, midnight blue-black hair. Eyes of gleaming jet, large and liquid dark in which he might drown. Though slim, the firm muscle tone was easy to discern. He held himself with the grace of a panther, a condescending glint in his eye and an arrogant tilt to his chin.

 _Exquisite_ , was the first word that crowded into Naruto's mind.

The second was, _Mine_. _That one will be mine._

All the other Coordinators in the hall looked at them with varying degrees of envy, hostility, or awe. And Naruto saw he wasn't the only Controller taking note of them, either.

"Wonder who they are?" Kiba said in a low voice.

The three didn't stay, stopping long enough only to each grab a sandwich before leaving again. Naruto's eyes remained glued to the raven-haired one, committing everything about him to memory. When they were finally gone, he turned to find Kiba wearing a big grin.

"I like the black-haired one," he said. "I'm gonna partner with him right away!"

An absurd bolt of jealousy flared in Naruto. He did his best to quash it. _Sorry, man. He's already mine. He just doesn't know it yet._

Despite his intentions, he saw neither hide nor hair of his black-haired beauty when he and Kiba raced to the sparring halls. As a result, he didn't get in a single good spar. It left him in a somewhat sour mood as he headed to afternoon classes. He brightened a little when he saw he shared it with Sakura.

She waved at him. "Naruto!"

Grinning, he plopped in a seat next to her. "Hi, Sakura-chan. First day going good?"

"Yeah!" she said. "Me and Ino watched a bunch of matches in the sparring halls. Tomorrow, we're going to pair up if we can."

"Me too!" Naruto said.

This class was taught by none other than Shizune, and she stepped to the head of the room. "Good afternoon, everyone. This class is designed to go over the finer points of working with a Coordinator. Have most of you had the chance to at least observe some matches?"

Nods around the room.

"Good. Before we get started on any exercises, I'm going to go over the basics so we're all on the same page."

She pointed a little remote at the white board behind her, and a holo chart appeared on it. "You all know the three areas where a Controller might excel. Offensive, defensive, or both. You'll find that nearly every Coordinator prefers one of these, depending on his or her personality."

She clicked the remote, and another graph appeared, this one of the human body. "You all know by now that in order to transform, a Controller must gather _chakra_ and concentrate a stream through the entire body. When you partner with a Coordinator for the first time, this stream is perceptible to him or her. The Coordinator essentially merges his or her own _chakra_ with the Controller's. This reaction is the catalyst that sparks the Controller's change. They assume their weapon form in the hands of the Coordinator for as long as they can maintain the bond."

Shizune brought up another graph. "Typically, a pair's first reaction will only last a few short minutes. The more you partner with different Coordinators, the more control you will develop until you're able to maintain this bond for an hour or more."

Yet another chart. "Depending on the stamina of both the Controller and the Coordinator, a dissolved bond can be reformed quite quickly until one or both run out of _chakra_."

Now she brought up images of bonded pairs in various fighting stances. "As you know, both Coordinators and Controllers use _chakra_ during their bond to power attacks. What you may not know is that a Coordinator can't initiate this."

Now she brought up an anatomical image of two humans with blue lines connecting them. "The Coordinator guides the pace of battle, but the reason you are called Controllers is because only you will be able to use _chakra_ to power attacks, called _ninjutsu_ or _genjutsu_. In essence, the Coordinator must channel his or her own _chakra_ through their Controller, who combines it with his or her own to perform these two feats. As I'm sure you can imagine, it takes a good deal of practice, trial, and error to perfect this process. You will partner with Coordinators who will have excellent control of _chakra_ , some who won't."

"Ne, sensei?" Naruto said, raising his hand. "Can you give us examples?"

Shizune smiled. "Of course." She clicked her remote, and the picture of a dark-haired girl with pale lavender eyes appeared. "This is Hinata Hyuga. She possess remarkable control of _chakra_ for a first year. The level of her power is somewhat lower. I'm sure many of you have seen her older cousin, Neji."

The picture changed to that pale-eyed guy who'd been with his raven beauty.

"Neji," Shizune said, "was the strongest Coordinator from last year. He and his Controller, Tenten, are a formidable pair yet to suffer a defeat by any student."

Naruto allowed himself to be impressed.

Now the red-headed guy's picture appeared. "This is Gaara," Shizune said. "The level of his power is always at the top of our recording instruments, and his control is excellent."

Now that raven-haired beauty's picture appeared. "And this is Sasuke Uchiha. Like Gaara, the level of his power is extremely high."

"So he's the best!" Naruto practically crowed.

"Not necessarily," Shizune said. "His control is less-than-perfect. While he may have a deep well of _chakra_ , he tends to waste it because he can't control it. This can lead to the Coordinator and Controller being unable to maintain a bond." Another picture appeared.

"This is Karin. She's a good example of a high level of _chakra_ and excellent control."

The pictures disappeared. "The common theme among first years," Shizune said, "is Controllers always want the Coordinator with the most power. You will quickly find it is not power that decides a match. What you want is a Coordinator whose level of both power and control complement your own."

She smiled. "This is true both on the battlefield and off. A bonded pair should also have personalities that don't clash, because emotions can and do carry over to combat."

After this, her lecture got more technical and Naruto had a hard time not tuning her out. Eventually, she broke the class into pairs to practice control exercises. She paired Naruto with a guy with a kind face named Naoki.

At the end of afternoon classes, Naruto skipped dinner for now and ran straight for the sparring halls. First year Coordinators had different uniforms than second-plus years, so they were easy to discern from those who were already bonded. Naruto scanned over the gathered students, looking for a certain raven.

There! Leaning with seeming indolence against the padded rail blocking off the sparring mats, Sasuke was between Neji, Gaara, and two others Naruto didn't recognize. He didn't care as a grin split his face and he dashed to them.

"Ne, Sasuke," he said, capturing their attention, "I'm Naruto. Wanna partner with me?"

Black eyes, endlessly black, blacker than the deepest night, gazed into summer-sky blue. There was something almost soothing about those dark eyes. So dark, his pupils weren't discernible from the iris. Then Sasuke looked down, breaking the spell, his eyes traveling all the way to Naruto's feet and then back up to his face.

"Hn," he said, straightening and turning his back. "I don't partner with idiots."

For ten seconds, Naruto was too stunned to move.

 _What?_

Seriously. Ten seconds. He'd never been speechless for ten seconds.

 _WHAT!?_

"Teme!" he snapped, stomping forward two steps, reaching out a hand to grab the guy's shoulder. "You don't even know me -!"

Almost faster than he could register, Neji moved. In an eye-blink, the taller and older Coordinator stood between them, taking a step forward with such murderous intent it startled Naruto a step back. His strange, pale eyes flashed.

"Don't touch him," he said in a flat, emotionless voice. "He said no, so get lost."

Swallowing and refusing to be bullied, Naruto squared his shoulders and threw a glare at the raven-haired Coordinator. Sasuke was watching out of the corner of his eye, and a smirk teased at the corner of his mouth. Then he once more looked away, clearly dismissing the blonde Controller.

Growling, fully prepared to punch Neji in the face and then probably punch Sasuke, too, Naruto opened his mouth to deliver a good verbal smack-down.

"Sasuke-kun?" a female voice said, derailing Naruto's intentions.

He blinked and noticed Sakura had approached them. The pretty pink-haired Controller smiled shyly at Sasuke when the raven looked at her.

"Do you want to partner with me?" she asked, a hint of color spreading over her cheeks.

Deliberately looking over at Naruto, Sasuke smiled before turning back to the girl. "Sure."

No shit, Naruto literally saw red. _Bastard! Figures your personality would be totally opposite your face!_ He watched as the Coordinator and Controller stepped onto a sparring mat and were almost immediately joined by another pair. Clenching his jaw, Naruto retreated. For now.

Defeat was not in his vocabulary.

~o0o~

Stepping onto the sparring mat, Sasuke Uchiha peripherally noticed the blonde Controller move away with a sulky expression. _Good._ It wasn't in his nature to decline the opportunity to spar, but something about that guy instantly annoyed him. He looked like an idiot.

The pink-haired girl standing opposite him smiled, still looking a tad shy. "I'm Sakura," she said.

"Sasuke," he said.

She blushed again, though to her credit she didn't duck her head like a fool. Holding out her hands to him, she moved closer. Sasuke accepted her request, placing his hands in hers, palm-to-palm. He could feel her _chakra_ tingle over his skin, and he gathered the necessary power into his own hands. Jade green _chakra_ rose in a fine mist around her, and it faintly surprised him it wasn't pink. His own, a deep cobalt, rose from his own skin.

Moving as one, the two moved into the stance to partner. He turned his back to her while going down to one knee, and she raised their still-linked hands over his head. Then she lowered them so her arms were wrapped around him from behind and his arms were crossed over his chest. Impressively fast, she transformed.

Her weapon form was that of two _katana_ swords, one shorter than the other. He managed not to grimace as he faced the partnered pair that wanted to spar. He didn't like Controllers who had no defensive elements to their forms. _Hopefully she has decent skill with ninjutsu_ , he thought, immediately adopting a defensive stance. She had one thing in her favor, though. Her control of _chakra_ was flawless.

 _"Let's go, Sasuke-kun!"_ she said into his mind. _"I may not look like it, but I was at the top of my class."_

He let her confidence reassure him and leaped forward at their opponent.

Their opponent's form was that of a triple-bolt crossbow. Normally Sasuke would never rush straight in against a weapon like that without better defense, but he wanted to see what Sakura could do. Their opponent wasted no time, and three bolts came flying at them, their tips glowing with _chakra_. They moved incredibly fast, and if they hit they could seriously wound him.

If they hit.

 _"Don't dodge, it's all right,"_ Sakura said, her voice soothing and calm. " _I'll take care of them. You just focus on that Coordinator."_

Trusting her, Sasuke didn't change his trajectory. In the blink of an eye, a jade-green sphere formed around him, deflecting the bolts harmlessly away. Allowing himself to be impressed, Sasuke leaped up and slashed both katanas down in a crossing arc. As he did so, Sakura powered both blades with his own _chakra,_ making them glow. Their opponent was forced to use the crossbow to block, and the force of the blow sent them tumbling back.

Growing more pleased by the second, Sasuke pressed his advantage. Sakura once more powered the blades, and not a drop of _chakra_ was wasted.

 _She could be a good partner for me,_ Sasuke thought, the blades flashing in another wicked arc. _Her control is better than mine, I could learn a lot from her._

Her repertoire of skills turned out to be pretty limited, but he didn't mind. Learning new _ninjutsu_ skills would come with practice, and her shield turned out to be impenetrable. He liked that. He liked it a great deal. Many Coordinators didn't care about being protected so much, but to Sasuke it was paramount.

And thanks to her perfect control, they won the match. Their opponents ran out of energy first, and their bond unraveled. As the Controller reverted, the watching students all clapped. Sakura separated from him, and all trace of shyness was gone from her pretty face. Her eyes practically glowed.

"That was incredible," she said, breathing a little hard. "Is it all right if we do that again sometime?"

"Any time, Sakura-san," he said, more polite than usual, looking forward to it.

That brought her blush back, and she beamed him a bright smile.

Before he could step down off the mat, another girl blocked his way. She was taller than Sakura. Actually, she was even a little taller than Sasuke. She gave him a grin, the overhead light gleaming on her long blond ponytail.

"Hi Sasuke," she practically purred. "I'm Ino. Wanna partner?"

Aware of a certain idiotic-looking blonde Controller still watching him, Sasuke nodded. "Sure."

Another pair came forward to challenge them, and Sasuke took Ino's hand. He once more went to one knee with his back to her, and moments later she transformed. It wasn't quite as quick and smooth as Sakura's transformation, but her control was also excellent. And her form managed to make him smile a tiny bit.

A long, spiked chain coiled in his hands, glowing faintly with her pink _chakra_. Their opponent held a long staff in her hands. Curious about Ino's strengths, Sasuke once more took the offensive.

Displaying an appealing ability to anticipate his wishes, Ino matched him. The moment their opponent swung the staff and leaped to counterattack, the spiked chain coiled, snakelike, around his body. Any gaps between the coils glowed with her _chakra_ , completely shielding him and harmlessly deflecting the staff's blow. The ends coiled around the staff and yanked, flinging the pair across the mat.

Ino wasn't done.

As Sasuke changed directions to follow their opponent and keep up the heat, he felt Ino building up _chakra_. She released the coils so Sasuke could whip the chain toward their opponents, forcing them to leap backward.

 _"All right, Sasuke,"_ Ino said, _"stay back. I'm going to show you my secret attack!"_

Curious, Sasuke sprang back on the mat. A second later her _chakra_ flared, and the bond between their opponents severed. The Controller reverted. Surprised, Sasuke straightened. That was an incredibly bitchy attack. Below the belt, some might say. Not that fairness would matter in a real battle.

Ino giggled in his head, the chain once more rising to coil around him, pink energy shimmering between the coils. _"Again, handsome?"_ she asked.

He rolled his shoulders, pleased by her defensive capability. "Sure."

Another pair came up to challenge them. Sasuke recognized Sakura in the hands of their opponent. Curious to see how she would react to Ino's unique _ninjutsu_ , Sasuke immediately took the offensive.

Sakura's shield deflected the chain, and her Coordinator leaped up to slash down at Sasuke. A flick of his wrist had the chain wrapped around both blades, and jade-green and pink _chakras_ clashed. Sasuke felt Ino build up her separation attack, but Sakura impressed him by deflecting that with her shield, too.

 _I like her fighting style. She's very aware of her Coordinator. We could be a good pair._

 _"Strike at her shield, Sasuke,"_ Ino directed, building up her _chakra_ again, and this time she channeled some from him.

Launching himself into the air, Sasuke lashed toward them, and the chains at once grew in length. In moments she'd coiled around the green sphere and _squeezed_. Sasuke added pressure by forming his own _ninjutsu_ , filling his lungs with _chakra_ and breathing a burst of flames down the chain's length.

In the end, the match ended in a draw. Ino's special attack couldn't get through Sakura's shield, and Ino's length kept Sakura from getting close enough to land any damage. The two Coordinators had to release the bonds to prevent them from unraveling on their own. Sakura and Ino glared at each other before Ino looked at Sasuke and winked.

"That was fun! We'll be partners again, handsome." She sauntered off the mat, flicking her ponytail at Sakura's face.

As soon as they were off the mat, Sasuke's own exit was once more blocked by a tall Controller wearing dark lenses. Half his face was concealed by the big white jacket he wore.

"Uchiha," he said in a deep voice. "A match?"

Normally Coordinators were allowed by unspoken rule to rest between matches, but Sasuke had known he would be highly sought after for his sheer power. Besides, he was far from depleted. So he shrugged.

"Sure."

Once more a pair quickly came to challenge them. Sasuke faced the Controller, offering his hands. The other teen took them, taller enough than Sasuke he could raise their arms over his head before Sasuke went to one knee. As a result he was gently pushed down.

"Shino Aburame," the Controller said in his ear, then he transformed.

At once, Sasuke felt a pulse of satisfaction. _This_ Controller's form suited him. A kind of chitin-like shell shielded the Uchiha's entire back, traveling across his legs, chest, and down his arms. The arms ended in long claws, and a whip-like tail lashed behind him ending in wicked spines.

For once, his opponent beat him to the offensive. Sasuke sprang back to avoid the blow, and as he moved, the tail whipped forward. The needle-like spines flew toward their opponent, and the Coordinator couldn't quite avoid them. They scored long gashes across his face and neck. He hissed and aborted his attack. Sasuke pressed his advantage, striking forward with his clawed fists.

His opponent managed to duck and roll, swiping his two short staves across Sasuke's back. He didn't even feel the blow, so complete was the armor. Growing more pleased by the second, Sasuke swept the tail toward him, catching the guy off guard and knocking his feet out from under him. Sasuke again lunged, punching downward with the claws.

A quick roll to the side took his opponent out of harm's way, and he leaped to his feet. With incredible speed, he formed a whirling ball of pure _chakra_ and drove down right at Sasuke's back.

Before Sasuke could move, long spines grew from the armor lightning fast, and his opponent couldn't fully avoid it this time. He went down, clutching his arm, and their bond unraveled. Not quite able to help his grin, breathing a little hard out of sheer adrenaline, Sasuke looked around.

"Anyone else?" he challenged.

Considering Shino was the first Controller to actually draw blood, no one took him up on that offer. Smirking, Sasuke released their link. Shino inclined his head.

"I'd like to partner again," he said. "Your _chakra_ is impressive."

Sasuke inclined his head, too. "Any time."

This time, when a fourth Controller began approaching, Sasuke waved him away and stepped off the mat. He could probably go a few more rounds, but this was their first day at The Academy and he didn't want to wear himself out as he started building up stamina and getting better at maintaining bonds.

Neji met him at the edge of the mat, taking his wrist in a firm but gentle hold and steering him away. "I think that's enough for one day," he said in a soft voice. "Let's get you back to your room, you're shaking."

Not bothering to explain that was probably due to adrenaline, Sasuke let Neji and Gaara lead him out of the sparring hall. He made sure to ignore the idiotic-looking blonde as they left.

Neji led the way back to the second-year dormitory halls, the rooms of which were bigger and therefore more comfortable than the first year. Sasuke gratefully flopped down on the sofa. Behind Neji and Gaara came their two closest friends Suigetsu and Jugo.

"Man, I'm wiped just from watching those matches," Jugo said, plopping down beside Sasuke and draping his arm behind him on the couch. "Got any of the good stuff left, Neji?"

"Of course," the second-year Coordinator said, disappearing for a few moments and reappearing with a black case. "Do you want to smoke?"

"Yeah," Jugo said, gently pushing Sasuke's head to the side. "Save the Poison for this one. He's earned it."

While Jugo rolled himself a Reef joint, Sasuke watched Neji pull a couple disposable syringes and fill them both with a bright green liquid. He handed one to Gaara, who sat on Sasuke's other side. The raven-haired teen rolled up his sleeve and held out his arm.

Poison, perhaps unlike its name might suggest, was the best drug Sasuke had ever tried. Thanks to these four, he'd tried a lot. Its appeal lay in a very fast metabolizing rate, no ill side-effects when the drug wore off, and a high unlike any he'd ever experienced. The hallucinogenic turned everything in sight to prismatic Technicolor, dazzling the senses like a feast for the eyes. And even better, it caused an incredibly pleasant tingle to break out over the surface of the skin.

Jugo had given that a very apropos description: "Feels like an orgasm all over the body."

But better than the colors, better than the sensation, Poison made Sasuke's mind go blank. Thoughts wouldn't form, all cares and worries slipped away. The past didn't matter, the present was great, and the future didn't exist. Sometimes it was easier not to think and feel. It was just easier to float on this colorful bliss and let everything else slide away.

The needle barely hurt anymore. The rush always burned at first, then in less than sixty seconds his entire body melted into warm jelly and he couldn't really more anymore. He sagged sideways against Gaara, and his best friend likewise melted backward as he took his own shot. He wound up sort of collapsed over Gaara's chest, which made him start giggling.

"It's like we're _lovers_ ," Sasuke said.

At least, he thought he did. He couldn't really be sure. Gaara didn't respond except to sort of hum, so he supposed maybe his mouth hadn't moved after all. It didn't matter much. Everything drifted away on a tingly, colorful cloud.


	2. The Deal

**A/N:** An explanation of Sasuke's . . . er, bad habit. A few people mentioned this reminded them of Soul Eater, which I didn't have in mind when I started writing this (it was kind of based off Elemental Gelade), but I totally see that! I LOVE Soul Eater. Except the weapons don't eat souls . . . haha

* * *

 **Pressing the Advantage (or Persistence: Thy Name is Naruto)**

As it turned out, information was readily available on all the Coordinators enrolled in their first year. Controllers were encouraged to educate themselves to pair up with those who might best complement their own abilities. Naruto scrolled through them until he found Uchiha, Sasuke near the end of the list.

Coordinators were measured for three things. First, _chakra_ control. On his chart, Sasuke's control measured somewhere around sixty-five percent. It marked him as average among the other first-years. The second was bonding aptitude, which measured at a consistent eighty-four percent. This put him well above average, since most first years could only achieve about seventy percent until they'd had months of practice.

The third - and most important to Naruto - was the level of their power, which included not only the breadth of their _chakra_ but also their ability to use _ninjutsu_ and _genjutsu_. Here, Sasuke was somewhat inconsistent. The sheer amount of _chakra_ flowing through his body was immense. No one in The Academy surpassed him in that regard. However, he couldn't always effectively power his abilities. The reason for this wasn't listed, so Naruto chalked it up to lack of practice.

These things put Sasuke somewhere between eighty-nine percent and ninety three, placing him at the top of the Coordinators this year but not number one. Gaara held that spot, and so far the top Coordinator in the entire Academy was Neji Hyuga. Naruto dismissed them both.

 _Sasuke just needs a Controller like me. We'll be unstoppable with a little practice, we just need to smooth out all the rough edges!_

Mind more made up than ever, Naruto went about his morning classes with more enthusiasm than usual. Then at lunch, he and Kiba met up to quickly bolt down some chow before sprinting to the sparring halls. They were no less crowded than yesterday.

Naruto's eyes scanned the gathered students until he saw Sasuke, in his same position yesterday in the midst of a few Coordinators and a Controller. Waving to Kiba, he trotted up to them with his usual grin.

"Ne, Sasuke," he said. "Wanna partner with me?"

Sasuke actually waited about ten seconds before finally turning to look at him. "No, _usuratonkachi_. I read your profile. I don't partner with idiots."

The word _loser_ reverberated in Naruto's skull. Before he could draw himself up to offer retort, Kiba startled the crap out of him.

"Wanna partner with _me_ , then?"

"Shit!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping. When the hell had his best friend followed him!

Giving Naruto a mean smirk, Sasuke straightened. "Sure." He brushed past the blonde Controller.

Kiba's grin wasn't the least bit apologetic as he followed the raven-haired Coordinator onto the sparring mat. _Bastard! I'm gonna punch you right in the face tonight! You know I want him!_

A slight red tinted his vision as Kiba (in a manner somewhat impolite) grabbed Sasuke's hands and spun him around, plastering himself to the Coordinator's back as he initiated the bond. Sasuke looked a bit disgruntled to be handled in this manner, but only a bit. The wonderfully rich cobalt of his _chakra_ built up around them, then Kiba changed.

Naruto had seen Kiba's form, of course, but it still managed to surprise him. It was an extremely unusual one. Instead of a weapon, Sasuke now had an enormous wolf-like dog at his side. Or half of one, at least. The two remained connected by the silvery-blue of Kiba's _chakra_ which appeared to be coming out of Sasuke's back almost like a ghost. Sasuke looked surprised, too, at this form.

Kiba's jaws parted in a panting laugh, and Naruto could imagine the dog-loving teen making some smart comment to Sasuke. The beautiful Uchiha suddenly blushed. _Blushed_. It was faint and so incredibly pretty Naruto felt a bolt of arousal matched only by his fury at Kiba.

 _Bastard! Flirting with_ my _Coordinator!_

The Coordinator facing Sasuke with his own Controller looked somewhat unnerved by Kiba's form. Sasuke didn't give him the chance to get used to the idea. He gathered _chakra_ in his palm in a swirling ball of flame and leaped to the offensive.

Their opponent had the form of a great bow. Naruto knew immediately such a form would be useless against Kiba. Indeed, as the bow fired its first arrow, Kiba's form extended itself. His jaws snapped around the haft of the arrow and broke it into harmless splinters as Sasuke flicked his wrist and sent the ball of flame spiraling toward their opponent.

Folding his arms, Naruto watched them in sulky silence.

~o0o~

Though Sasuke didn't devote much of his attention to it, he was still aware of that blonde Controller watching him. It didn't distract him.

 _"This guy's gonna be minced meat!"_ Kiba crowed into his mind.

Sasuke couldn't help smiling a little.

Of all Controllers with whom he'd partnered, this one was definitely the biggest surprise. A form that moved independently was exceedingly rare and required quite a well of _chakra_. Though his initial thought was such a form didn't lend itself all that well to either offense or defense, Kiba quickly proved him wrong. He reacted immediately to all projectile attacks, deflecting them long before they reached Sasuke.

It was interesting to fight with his own hands and feet instead of with a weapon, but Sasuke found himself rather enjoying it. Kiba felt more like a _partner_ than just the weapon in his hands controlling the pace of battle. Furthering this impression, Kiba didn't use Sasuke's _chakra_ for anything. He used his own.

And his offense turned out to be as impressive as his form. Not only could he extend himself to seemingly any length, attached by that ethereal cord to Sasuke's back, but he had two very impressive attacks. He quickly decided their victory by extending himself to nearly two meters and latching his jaws onto their opponent's shoulder. He shook twice and flung them aside. Their bond unraveled.

Grinning, rather excited by the sheer novelty of fighting like this, Sasuke didn't sever their bond. Kiba's control of _chakra_ wasn't impressive, but that was something he would perfect with practice. He _liked_ this Controller.

 _"Goddamn you're sexy, Sasuke!"_ Kiba all but purred into his mind. _"I feel like I could do anything as your Controller!"_

Compliments on two fronts. Sasuke felt himself blushing again and shook his head as if that would clear away the flattered confusion. "Anyone else?" he challenged.

His second fight with Kiba also ended in decisive victory, and then a blonde girl wanted to partner with him. She introduced herself as Temari, and her form was a large fan. She turned out to be a potent weapon in his hands, controlling wind at will.

After a few more fights, he had to refuse the next Controller.

Neji and Gaara, as usual, flanked him as soon as he stepped down off the mat.

"Let's go smoke," Suigetsu said, stretching.

Sasuke frowned at him. "Have you partnered even once with any of the Controllers?" he demanded.

"Nah. But there's plenty of time. I get a kick out of watching you. I knew your ass would be hot shit when the Controllers came around, but I had no idea you'd be in _this_ much demand."

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke followed Neji out of the sparring hall.

The campus grounds sprawled over quite a stretch of land, and there were a lot of grassy fields with trees where students could enjoy the outdoors during the day. The four friends settled in the shade of a few trees, and Neji took a little black case out of the small pack he always carried.

Suigetsu rolled himself a Reef joint and lit it up. "Ya wanna shoot up, Raven?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Can't. I have to be up really early tomorrow. Kakashi wants to see me."

Suigetsu sighed. "He ain't gonna go back to being a controlling bastard, is he?"

To this, Sasuke said nothing. These friends of his had introduced Sasuke to the rather seedy world of drugs, rock and roll concerts, and clubs when he was just fourteen. Sasuke's legal guardian, Kakashi Hatake, had allowed Sasuke to spend a month with them one summer. When he came home, his guardian had been surprised to find how relaxed his charge had become. However, Sasuke hadn't been able to hide his habit from Kakashi for more than five months.

He spent forty days in rehab. Honestly, those forty days were terrible. As Sasuke became more and more sober and lucid, nightmares and memories the drugs had erased came back full force.

When the rehab ended, Sasuke had stayed clean for no more than one month before Neji introduced him to Poison. The only part of this Sasuke regretted was lying to Kakashi. He knew his guardian cared for him deeply, but the man simply didn't understand Sasuke's _need_ for the numbness of a high.

Without these three people, Sasuke was sure he would have gone insane (or killed himself) years ago.

The slightly sweet smell of Reef soon filled the air around him, and Sasuke leaned back against the tree behind him.

"That first Controller today," Gaara said abruptly. "What was his name?"

"Kiba," Sasuke replied, closing his eyes.

A moment of silence. "His form is impressive," Gaara commented.

"Oh, ya like him?" Suigetsu said at once.

Sasuke almost smiled. He didn't open his eyes, but he could imagine Gaara giving Suigetsu a flat look.

"I like him for Sasuke," Gaara said. "Potentially."

"He made you blush, Raven," Suigetsu said. "What'd he say to you?"

Sasuke twitched when fingers danced over his ribs. "Nothing."

"Yeah right!" Suigetsu denied his evasion. "C'mon. What was it?"

After a moment, Sasuke gave in. "He just called me sexy."

"Oh," Suigetsu said, and he sounded stupidly disappointed. "Well, that's nothing too exciting. I was imagining him telling you how he would pin you down to the mat and have his way with you doggy style."

Unable to stay calm through that, Sasuke opened his eyes and glared at Suigetsu. "Not everyone's a fucking animal like you."

Suigetsu cackled. "The irony of that comment . . . anyone?"

Neji lit up his own joint. "You've lost weight," he totally changed the subject, looking at Sasuke. "Kakashi will notice. We need to be more mindful of that." He took a drag on his joint, then handed it to Sasuke.

He inhaled deeply, holding his breath for several seconds before exhaling and handing the joint back. Reef always made his whole body feel heavy and warm.

For a while, his three friends talked. He contributed nothing, simply enjoying their quiet voices and the cool breeze. The constant darkness of his own thoughts and memories lightened, leaving him feeling almost peaceful.

"I like our choices of Controllers," Suigetsu said presently. "We've got a lot really talented ones! I especially liked that blonde chick whose form was a big spiked chain."

Sasuke drowsily agreed, though he wasn't sure if he did so verbally or just in his own head. He twitched a little when warm hands abruptly grasped his arms and gently pulled him into a reclined position with his head on someone's thigh. Then those hands began massaging his neck and scalp.

Neji, he thought hazily. No, Gaara. Whichever it was, their ministrations chased him into sleep.

 **~*o0o*~**

After a week, Naruto was ready to break things in his frustration. Or maybe beat the shit out of someone. He hadn't been able to get Sasuke to agree even once to partner with him, and he was fixated so strongly on the raven Coordinator he didn't want to even practice with someone else. It meant unlike everyone else in The Academy, he hadn't had a single good spar with anyone else.

"Dude, just get in some practice with someone else," Kiba said, shrugging and looking smug that _he_ had partnered with Sasuke. "He might thaw toward you."

"He's not even the best choice at The Academy," Choji explained, hand delving into his bag of chips. "There are other Coordinators with higher averages than him."

"He's too troublesome," Shikamaru added his two cents' worth. "High maintenance." And shuddered.

Naruto glared at them. How could he explain it? It didn't make any sense that he wanted only Sasuke, but something about that teen _called_ to him. He was intensely attractive, sure. Anyone could see that. But there was something about him, something intangible, something he couldn't define, that just made him _yearn_.

Could be the way he carried himself, with an arrogant tilt to his chin that gave him the distinct impression of always looking down on everyone. Could be the way his shoulders curved ever-so-slightly inward as if he was trying unconsciously to protect himself. Could be the way his eyes were so bright and liquid black and so _deep_ and _cold_ and something else he couldn't name.

 _Fuck. He makes me sound like a fucking poet._ He barely knew anything about Sasuke other than what he'd read and seen and heard from others. They hadn't even had a single civil conversation. But he just knew that if they got to know each other, something powerful would happen. Something profoundly changing to them both.

It was on his mind every morning when he woke and every night when he collapsed into bed. It drove him to distraction and made him crazy.

Today was no exception. He wandered around campus on lunch, feeling bereft. For the first time since day one, Sasuke was not in the sparring halls. Neither were any of the four teens always with him. Not really sure what to do since he couldn't even observe his fixation, he drifted through the halls sort of half-heartedly searching for Sasuke.

His feet eventually took him out into the impressive yards where The Academy grew trees and maintained a sort of park for students to enjoy the outdoors during fine weather. The grounds were suitably large, and Naruto plopped himself in the shade of a thick tree and closed his eyes, sighing deeply.

 _The fuck am I gonna do? I just hafta get him to partner with me once. Then he'll see what a crazy awesome partner I am and never want anyone else._

Presently, the soft sound of distant voices reached his ears. He ignored it until he recognized Sasuke's. Without a thought he rolled to his feet, perfectly willing to plead his case to the raven under any circumstances. Maybe away from the sparring hall, Sasuke would be more receptive.

Soon he spotted the ebon-eyed Coordinator, and sure enough he was with those four friends of his. However, the tableau unfolding before him had him darting behind a tree to watch in wide-eyed disbelief.

Neji, the freaky-eyed bastard, had a syringe filled with some bright green fluid. From his spot in the shade, Naruto could see clearly enough to watch him nod to Sasuke. The younger teen rolled up his sleeve and held out his arm. Neji stuck him with the needle and emptied whatever was in it into Sasuke's veins. As Naruto watched, frozen, the raven melted down against one of his friends and a vacant smile settled over his lips.

Naruto ducked back behind the tree, leaning against it, heart pounding. _He just shot up. I just watched him fucking shoot up. Sasuke is a fucking junkie. No fucking way._

He didn't know enough about drugs and shit to have the faintest idea what was in that syringe, but clearly it wasn't natural. Nothing good could put such a ridiculously _wrong_ smile on Sasuke's face. His hands were shaking a little as Naruto made his way unseen back indoors. What was he supposed to do with this kind of information? Tell someone?

A split second later, he shook his head. His heart rate evened and his hands stopped trembling. A shit-eating grin crossed his face. _Tell someone? Hell yeah, I know exactly who to tell._ If he couldn't make Sasuke partner with him in the normal way, then he would just have to get a little . . .

. . . Creative.

 **~*o0o*~**

Sasuke's alarm always went off at six, and he usually woke before it. Today was no exception, but he bolted out of a sleep tormented by gruesome nightmares. Images of darkness and crimson bled through his half-conscious mind, and he all but fell out of bed as he ran for the bathroom. He barely made it to the toilet before expelling whatever remained from last night's small meal.

Fortunately, it didn't last long. His stomach tightened itself into uneasy knots as the worst nausea passed, and he blindly reached for the mouthwash he always kept on the back of the toilet. Then he shucked the boxers and black tee shirt in which he always slept and climbed into the shower.

Freezing cold water hit his skin and nearly elicited a shriek. It helped chase the black and red from his mind, then the water warmed and he felt slightly more human. He hated nightmares. They reminded him of a past he desperately wanted to escape, a past too painful to remember, too vivid to forget.

Black shadows.

Red blood.

The glowing eyes of the man who murdered ( _slaughtered_ ) his entire family right in front of his eyes.

 _Itachi._

The bathroom door opened, nearly making Sasuke jump out of his skin. Then the shower door opened.

"I heard you throwing up," Gaara said quietly, taking the few steps necessary to embrace Sasuke, pushing the shorter teen's head to rest at the junction of neck and shoulder.

Sasuke neither protested nor resisted. "Nightmare," he mumbled, closing his eyes and enjoying the heat and closeness.

Most people who knew them always assumed he and Gaara were together. Intimate. Boyfriends. Whatever. Their relationship might be more than strictly platonic since surprisingly often they wound up naked together, but the breadth of Sasuke's love was entirely non-romantic. This person was simply his best friend, someone around whom all his defenses vanished.

He sighed and melted when Gaara's hands started massaging shampoo into his hair. Part of him felt selfish, never returning Gaara's attentions. He only ever enjoyed them. A bigger part of him knew such reciprocation wasn't needed. Gaara took greater pleasure in taking care of his friend than being taken care of in return.

Eventually the washing was done, and staying in the shower longer would stray into territory too intimate even for them. Gaara gently nudged Sasuke out of the shower, and Sasuke went. He dried off and got dressed in the uniform of first-year Coordinators.

The black slacks which had fit him perfectly two months ago had gotten a bit loose, and so had the high-necked, sleeveless black shirt with its silver buttons. The Academy's insignia was embroidered high onto the left breast in blue-and-silver thread, and instead of sleeves it had long arm-covers that hooked over the thumb and stopped about mid-bicep on the upper arm.

Sasuke liked the uniform, the fabric light and easy to maneuver in. Completing the ensemble were black knee-high boots of unpolished suede, giving them a flexible feel. Perfect for the constant shifting and movement required for sparring.

When he finished dressing, Sasuke made himself a quick breakfast of half a bagel smeared with cream cheese and topped with tomatoes. He called goodbye to Gaara before grabbing his book bag and heading from the dorms to the main hall where the teachers' offices were located.

He was halfway there when he heard a familiar voice,

"Ne, Sasuke!"

Definitely not in the mood to deal with this persistent idiot, Sasuke turned. He'd learned this guy's name was Naruto Uzumaki, and his test scores weren't fantastic. In one area in particular, they were abysmal. "I don't have time for you right now, _dobe_." He practically spat the word for _dead last_.

For once, Naruto didn't give him that supremely offended look. He just grinned. The grin about split his damn face right in two. It was the immature expression of, _'I know something you don't know'_.

"Partner with me today," he said. "At lunch."

Sasuke gave him a cold look before turning on his heel and continuing toward the instructors' offices. "I don't partner with idiots."

Suddenly, Naruto was _right_ in front of him. The other teen wasn't that much taller, but he was quite a bit broader in the shoulders than Sasuke, so he felt _bigger_. His grin had not abated one iota.

"You'll partner with me today." Confident. Obnoxiously confident. "Otherwise, someone might find out about your little . . . shall we say, _secret_?"

Unimpressed, Sasuke folded his arms. "What are you talking about, moron? I don't have a secret."

"Oh yeah?" the idiot said, smirking. "Not even one involving _needles_?"

For a moment, the weirdness of that comment left Sasuke baffled. He stared blankly for probably three seconds before he felt himself pale. _He can't possibly be talking about . . . how could he know? There's no way he could know._ Fortunately, he'd gotten a lot of practice at keeping his face neutral, so he didn't visibly react other than to raise an eyebrow. He leaned back, adopting a sort of indolent indifference.

"What does that even mean, idiot?"

Naruto snorted. "C'mon, Sasuke. We're both intelligent guys. I saw you shoot up yesterday. Lunch? Under the tree out on the grounds? Something green? Ring a bell?"

Stomach clenching and souring all at once, Sasuke's heart pounded and he actually felt faint. His breathing hitched unpleasantly, and he couldn't think of a single thing to say. All the acidity normally burning on his tongue fizzled. He glared up into summer-blue eyes, caught in a state of both panic and rage. It was a peculiar sensation.

The stupid Controller didn't seem to want a response. And he was _still_ grinning. "So, all you have to do is partner with me today at lunch. Partner with me, and I won't tell a soul that you're doing drugs."

It only took a few seconds for the panic to change to helpless fury. Neji and Gaara always triple checked that no one was around when they used outside, so how could they have missed this loud-mouthed idiot? He ground his teeth. He may not want to partner with the blonde, but it would be infinitely worse for people to know about the drug use. So he forced himself to breathe through his nose.

"Fine," he said, pleased that his tone was even. "I'll be in the north sparring hall at noon. Be there." He shoved past Naruto, and this time the idiot didn't stop him.

His black mood didn't lessen as he stormed through the main hall to the fourth floor where were located the instructors' offices.

Kakashi Hatake, one of the most formidable bonded Shinobi ever to graduate from The Academy, had served the Imperial Army for many years before putting his career on hold to become a guest instructor. Sasuke was the reason for the abrupt deviation on this military path, and he had a feeling Kakashi would return to active duty when Sasuke graduated in four years.

On most days, Sasuke was grateful. Today was not one of those days. He knocked on his guardian's office door before opening it and entering.

Kakashi had picked up the peculiar habit of wearing a mask and forehead protector to conceal all of his face except for his right eye. Sasuke was one of a very few who actually knew what the man looked like beneath it, and he'd always wondered why the man wore the mask. He wasn't scarred or burned or hideous. Quite the opposite. Sasuke thought he was an incredibly handsome man.

So did his bonded partner-turned-lifemate.

Even with the mask, it was still easy to tell when Kakashi smiled, for his visible eye crinkled warmly. "Good morning, Sasuke," he said in his mellow drawl. "Sleep well?"

"Not particularly," Sasuke muttered, sliding into the chair opposite Kakashi at his big desk.

"Nah, me neither," Kakashi said, leaning back and stretching his arms over his head. Then he leveled Sasuke with a piercing look. "I got the results of your six-week physical. You've lost weight. And I'm not talking about a pound or two."

Bitching to Kakashi that no other Coordinator had to have physicals every six weeks would be a waste of breath. No other student had Kakashi as a legal guardian. "I always sort of skip lunch," Sasuke said truthfully. "Guess I'm more interested in sparring and practicing than eating." He shrugged one shoulder.

Kakashi's only visible eye peered at him. Hard. "If I made you take a drug test right now," he said in a low voice, "what would I find?"

"Nothing." And that was the truth. Poison metabolized too quickly to leave any traces after twelve hours, and he'd deliberately taken a dose on lunch just to be sure.

That hard stare lasted for about ten seconds too long before Kakashi relented. "I don't want to arrange for random blood tests," he said after a pause. "I'm trusting you're telling me the truth. You _have_ been training hard. Only, don't let that get in the way of taking care of yourself. You especially need to keep your strength up. If you don't gain fifteen pounds in the next two weeks, I'm going to have to put you on a strict diet. I know you don't want that."

"No," Sasuke said, shuddering. Those 'strict diets' involved food that tasted like dirt and piss. "I'll do better, Kakashi. I'll pay more attention to meal times."

"Good," Kakashi said, rising and moving around his desk. He grabbed Sasuke's arm and pulled him up into a rough, one-armed hug. "You're a good kid."

For a moment, the urge to melt into Kakashi like when he was a little kid overwhelmed Sasuke. He managed to resist before pulling back out of reach. "Have you seen my bonding scores?" he couldn't help asking.

Kakashi's eye said he was smiling again. "I have. Higher than anyone except Neji. You'll surpass him at the rate you're going. But I've noticed your _chakra_ control isn't improving. I want you to set aside at least two days every week to practice on that instead of sparring. There are quite a few Controllers who you could ask. Keep Sakura Haruno and Shino Aburame in mind. They both complemented you perfectly."

Sasuke nodded, feeling his tension bleeding away. Maybe Kakashi could be somewhat overbearing and protective, but he loved this man. He might not have been prepared to take care of a broken, orphaned child, but he'd risen to the occasion quite well in Sasuke's estimation.

Only way he could be perfect was if he let Sasuke use substances without protesting.

"Now go to the cafeteria and get yourself a real breakfast," Kakashi instructed. "I'm willing to bet you only ate a little before coming down here." He lowered himself down into his chair once more.

With a faint smile, Sasuke shook his head and left the office.

Halfway to the cafeteria, Suigetsu found and intercepted him. He folded Sasuke into a hug, grabbing the back of his neck and tucking his head into his neck. Sasuke just wrapped his arms around his friend's back and didn't protest.

"How'd it go?" the slightly taller Coordinator asked, letting go after a few seconds. "He make you take a blood test? Or threaten to do random tests?"

"No," Sasuke replied. "He just told me I have to gain weight."

"Well, that's good at least!" Suigetsu said. "Sounds like he's not gonna be a hardass on you. We'll talk to Neji about those protein smoothies he made for you after rehab. You liked those okay, right?"

Sasuke shrugged. They weren't good, but they hadn't tasted terrible. "I've had worse. And they don't taste like much." He hesitated. "But that wasn't the worst part of the morning."

Suigetsu raised an eyebrow. "Really? I gotta hear this."

"You know that blonde Controller? Uzumaki?"

"Yeah. The poor guy you keep being an asshole to." Suigetsu snorted.

Sasuke ignored the poor grammar. "He somehow saw us . . . me . . . taking Poison. Yesterday. At lunch."

" _What_? How!"

"He promised he wouldn't tell anyone, but I had to agree to partner with him," Sasuke concluded.

Those words seemed to distract Suigetsu from his shock. He started chortling. "Well, there are much worse things he could've done, you know. If that's all he asks, then just partner with the poor bastard and give him a break. Who knows! You might like him!"

"Yeah right," Sasuke muttered, glaring at the floor.

It really irked him that he had to give in like this. He didn't like being pressured into something. He liked being blackmailed into it even less. Suigetsu's point was a good one, Naruto could have done much worse than make Sasuke partner with him, but it left a bad taste in his mouth.

He just had the sinking feeling Naruto would be the worst Controller ever to partner with him.


	3. Power and Skill

**The Start of Something**

Even though Kakashi had lectured him just that morning, Sasuke skipped lunch and went straight to the sparring halls after morning classes. His fellow first-years were already trickling in, and he took his usual place at the far end of the mat. He saw Gaara and Neji walk in, and they joined him. Sasuke acknowledged them but didn't speak, eyes scanning the students for a familiar mop of spiky blonde hair.

Naruto entered a few minutes later, and his eyes immediately found Sasuke. That obnoxious grin of his popped out, and he strolled across the floor like he owned it. He stopped in front of the raven Coordinator.

"Ne, Sasuke," he drawled like always. It was seriously annoying. "Partner with me."

Not a request today. Neji took half a step as if ready to tell the guy off, but Sasuke straightened from his slouch with a glare and all but stomped toward the mat. "Let's get it over with," he muttered.

His bad attitude didn't seem to bother Naruto in the slightest as he followed. A pair quickly came to challenge them, and Sasuke threw Naruto one more venomous glare before accepting the hands the other extended. He twisted to put his back to Naruto's chest, going down to one knee and holding himself open.

With rather astonishing speed, the fastest Sasuke had yet experienced, Naruto transformed. His form was also surprising. He'd been expecting something huge and obnoxious, just like the blonde's personality. However, a long black _katana_ sword now rested in his hands. The blade was double-edged and gleamed brightly. The third shock was the well of _chakra_ Sasuke could sense. This guy's limits pushed even Sasuke's.

Raw power didn't indicate any skill, as Sasuke well knew. And there was something strange about this guy's _chakra_. Most people had a pale color, but this stuff was dark, angry red. It felt . . . spiky. He couldn't describe it any better, and he didn't care for it one bit. It didn't slide easily and naturally along Sasuke's own.

But a promise was a promise, no matter how it was extracted. Sasuke tapped one foot against the mat before lunging at their opponent, the sword flashing a glittering arc in his hands.

Naruto responded at once, gathering _chakra_ to power the blade. It began to glow, and Sasuke grimaced. As he'd rather suspected, this idiot's control was _terrible_. He drew way too much way too fast. It felt like a leech the size of a building was hungrily sucking on Sasuke's _chakra_ channels. And Naruto indiscriminately drew on both of them.

 _"Damn, you're fucking impressive as hell!"_ Naruto said abruptly. _"Lemme show you one of my two secret attacks. Put a little distance between us and that asshole."_

Sasuke's lips twitched, and he obediently sprang back. The katana glowed even brighter. At Naruto's direction, he slashed it toward their opponent, and curved blades of pure _chakra_ went flying toward the other Coordinator. She threw herself to the mat to avoid it, and probably two dozen students also had to leap out of the way. The blades struck the far wall and took an enormous chunk out of it.

In spite of himself, Sasuke felt a tiny pulse of amusement. _"That was a terrible attack, dobe. We're sparring, not fighting a war."_

 _"Shut up, bastard!"_ Naruto said good-naturedly. _"I'm still working on that. C'mon, let's get 'em while they're down!"_

Shaking his head, already knowing how this would end, Sasuke once more took the offensive. His opponent's Controller had the form of a great double-headed axe, and the Coordinator threw it up in a sweeping arc to deflect the blow. Sasuke relaxed his arms to fade away from her blow and pivoted on the balls of his feet to swing around and slash toward her back. She barely managed to get the axe up in time to block, but because Naruto had powered his blade with ridiculous amounts of _chakra_ , the force knocked her clean off her feet.

 _"Easy win!"_ Naruto crowed. _"Finish them off, Sasuke!"_

Sasuke kept up the offensive until the force of his blows knocked the axe from her hands, and their bond unraveled. Lowering the tip of the sword, Sasuke watched the pair get to their feet. Not surprising, Naruto was a strictly offensive Controller.

 _He doesn't suit me at all. Just like I knew he wouldn't._ He prepared to unravel the bond.

 _"Wait!"_ Naruto squawked. _"What are you doing? We're just getting started!"_

 _"I believe I promised you one round,"_ Sasuke replied crisply.

 _"Uh, like hell you did. All I said was you're partnering with me today. I never said one round!"_

Grinding his teeth in annoyance, Sasuke flicked the sword up and looked around. "Who's next?" he demanded.

Another pair took him up on that, and he grimaced at the form. This Controller was a large bow, and the arrows were pure _chakra_. Not a good opponent for an idiot who couldn't even form a _chakra_ shield. Still, Sasuke gamely took the offensive.

His opponent immediately formed three arrows and loosed them. Sasuke had to perform a series of quick slashes to deflect them, forcing him into a defensive position. No sooner had he regained his balance than three more flew toward him. As fast as he could take care of them more came.

Really not liking having to wield a weapon and attack and defend at the same time, Sasuke grit his teeth and filled his lungs with _chakra_. When he breathed out, half a dozen small fireballs burst out, destroying the _chakra_ arrows, but more came right on their heels.

 _"Do something, idiot!"_ Sasuke demanded, the blade singing through the air as he yet again deflected arrows.

 _"Okay!"_ Naruto said brightly. _"Back up a little, I'll show you something sweet!"_

Sasuke obeyed, putting a little distance between himself and their opponent. Naruto began drawing huge amounts of _chakra_ , and suddenly he transformed.

This form, Sasuke thought, suited him. He was now holding the biggest fucking gun he'd ever seen in his entire life. The triple barrel was probably a meter long, and the butt end had a guard that extended all the way up over Sasuke's shoulder. It was covered in little needle-sharp spikes.

Sasuke knew what would happen a split second before it did, but before he could begin to form a protest Naruto had already gathered _chakra_ into glowing spheres at the business end of all three barrels and fired. The sheer power of the attack burned the mat away, causing the spongy material to melt and warp. Every student in the line of fire had to fling themselves out of the way to avoid pulverization, and plaster exploded out from the wall where they struck.

Sasuke hardly saw. The attack all but drained him, and he went down to hands and knees, vision swimming alarmingly. The bond didn't so much as unravel as shatter, and black spots danced in Sasuke's vision. He could dimly hear students clamoring and exclaiming as his senses wandered for several moments. He felt warm (and large) hands grip his shoulders.

"Sasuke . . . ?"

"Idiot!" Sasuke snarled, hitting Naruto's hands away from him. "You're the worst Controller I've ever paired with! If that's the best you can do, we're never partnering again. _Usuratonkachi_!" If words alone could kill, the venom in the word _loser_ would have left Naruto massacred on the floor.

"I know, I know," Naruto said, "I still need to work on that. I'll do better next time."

"Next time?" Sasuke repeated, straightening to blast Naruto with the full force of his frozen glare. "There isn't gonna be a next time, _dobe_. You're like a five-year-old, flailing around without a clue how to marshal your limbs."

The second the words left his mouth, he knew Naruto was going to say -

"Give me a chance. I'd hate to have to tell someone your _secret_."

\- that. Grinding his teeth so hard his jaw ached, Sasuke glared at him in helpless fury for a good ten seconds while the noise in the sparring hall jangled in the air around him. "Fine," he spat, "but not here. After classes, meet me in the private sparring rooms."

Levering himself to his feet took a bit of effort, and to his massive annoyance Naruto hopped up with no problem. As Sasuke stepped down off the mat, Neji intercepted him.

"Are you all right?" he asked, giving Naruto an openly hostile look.

"Fine," Sasuke said shortly, not wanting to get into a conversation about this with anyone. Not even his closest friends. He brushed past Neji and made his way out of the sparring arena. Naruto didn't follow him, and that was good. He would seriously punch the idiot right in the throat.

~o0o~

Afternoon classes went by way too fast, and Sasuke found he could hardly pay attention. All he could think about was the upcoming "training" with Naruto. _He's like a damn kid in a sandbox,_ he thought spitefully. _No finesse what-so-fucking-ever._

Despite his dread, Sasuke didn't fool around after classes. He stopped by his room long enough to dump off his books, and fortunately Gaara wasn't there. His roommate would probably ask him questions Sasuke didn't want to answer. Not just yet. He wasn't ready to admit this stupid fucking mess was his own goddamn fault. Far easier to blame Naruto.

And really, it _was_ Naruto's fault. If only the blonde weren't such a persistent fucking moron!

In the east wings dedicated to sparring, past the big open halls, there were individual rooms where pairs could train. They were mostly designed for students already bonded, but for this they suited Sasuke's needs perfectly. Naruto was already waiting for him, no surprise, wearing his stupid grin. It stretched across the entire lower half of his face, making his eyes squint closed. He looked like the world's dumbest fox.

Acknowledging him only with a fierce scowl, Sasuke headed for an open room. Once inside, he slammed and locked the door before rounding on the blonde.

"If you can't even handle the basics of _chakra_ control," he said, jabbing a finger into Naruto's chest, "we're never sparring again."

Naruto gave him a stupidly pouty look. "It's not my best area." Then he grinned. "But admit it. You've never partnered with anyone more powerful!"

"Your power means jack shit," Sasuke dismissed him, the unusually crude (for him) language slipping easily off his tongue. "We couldn't even maintain a bond for five minutes. If we were in an actual battle back there, we'd both be dead. Skill _always_ wins over incompetent brawn. Every moron with half a brain knows that!"

The heat of his fury cowed Naruto, and that actually managed to appease Sasuke a little. Only a little. He'd had hours to work himself up into quite a fit of pique.

"I know," Naruto said, voice no longer airy. "But I can do better, I know it. I just need someone to practice with me. Whaddaya say, Sasuke?" His grin came back, but it was a bit more subdued.

Heaving a put-upon sigh, Sasuke dropped cross-legged onto the mat. "Sit. We're gonna do the basic _chakra_ exercises for beginners. I assume you know how to link without transforming." Sharp and snide.

"Of course," Naruto muttered, sitting opposite him and taking his hands.

 _Chakra_ sprang up around them both, cobalt blue and fiery red. Sasuke grimaced internally at the feel of that _chakra_. It just felt weird and raw and _hungry_ , all too eager to get at Sasuke's insides. He tried to ignore it.

" _Chakra_ control is my weakest area too," Sasuke admitted grudgingly—though it was likely Naruto already knew that. His scores were all posted in his public student records, which other students could access from The Academy's Student Net. It was too much of a stretch to admit he and Naruto _might_ be able to help each other. "So channel _chakra_ into a ball between us. Only use yours."

"Okay," Naruto said, his voice finally all serious. He closed his eyes.

Less than a second later, Sasuke bowed forward with a hiss as Naruto drew strongly and rapidly on _chakra_ from them both. His head snapped up and he glared at the blonde.

"I said _yours_ , idiot! Fuck, you don't have any skill."

Naruto gave him a faint glare. "God, you're an asshole. It's not my fault, all right? I didn't learn the same things most other kids training to be Shinobi did."

Sasuke blinked. That was . . . Sighing again, Sasuke squeezed Naruto's hands. Hard. "Listen. I hate repeating myself, so pay attention. Think of channeling _chakra_ as like filling a container with water. You only need to put in as much water as will fill the container. Any more, and the container will overflow. The same principle is true of channeling _chakra_. If your blade was an empty container, how much water would it take to fill it? Not very much, right? Well, the same is true of any _ninjutsu_."

For a moment Naruto was silent, eyes narrowed a little. "Huh," he said, looking almost bemused. "None of my teachers ever put it like that."

In spite of himself, Sasuke's lips twitched in a grin. "So intelligently?"

"So easy to understand," Naruto replied. "Okay, let me try again. I think I got it."

Five tries later, Sasuke was beginning to wonder if this idiot was capable of getting anything. He felt a bit light-headed and slightly dizzy, creeping ever closer to being completely drained. He dug his short, blunt nails into Naruto's palms.

"Are you even trying, _dobe_?"

Naruto winced but didn't try to shake Sasuke off. "It's harder than you think, yanno."

Sasuke actually felt his teeth curl away from his lip in a feral snarl. "I know _exactly_ how hard it is. Idiot! It's why I still struggle with it. But I'm not like a three-year-old in a bathtub, splashing around and spilling water all over the fucking house!"

"Geez, you're really mean," Naruto grumbled. "I just have to find a way that works for me. I'm getting there, so stop being an ass."

"You're weren't the one dragged here against his will," Sasuke snapped. "Stop fucking around and _try_. This doesn't exactly feel good."

Naruto took a deep breath. "Okay, okay. This time for sure."

Once more, he drew on both their _chakras_. Beyond irritated, Sasuke yanked his hands away. Their bond broke, making Naruto yelp.

"I said _yours_ , moron!" Sasuke growled, every cell in his body straining with the desire to belt this idiot right in the throat. "Don't just indiscriminately grab at whatever you want. Your _chakra_ feels distinctly different from mine. Pay attention to the difference and channel _yours_. When a pair bond, the Coordinator is the one who has to maintain it. The Controller should always draw on his or her own first so the pair can stay bonded as long as possible. Got it?"

Looking more and more disgruntled, Naruto nodded. He said nothing as he held up his hands. With great reluctance, Sasuke took them and initiated their bond again. He could feel Naruto preparing to channel again. Then the blonde shocked the hell out of him by finally getting it right. He drew only on his own _chakra_.

"So you _can_ learn," Sasuke grunted. "Good. You know by now the most effective forms of _ninjutsu_ and _genjutsu_ are performed when Coordinator and Controller combine and merge their _chakra_. Right?"

"Yeah," Naruto said. "That's the first thing we're taught."

"And it's why most Controllers channel both theirs and their Coordinator's," Sasuke said. "This is the best way anyway. But at least I know you can do it now. So let's try the most basic control exercise. Maybe now that you can differentiate between our energies, your control will improve. Channel _chakra_ in a constant, steady stream, but make it as fine as you can."

As expected by now, Naruto did no such thing. He channeled in a great big fucking wave. Sasuke grit his teeth again, giving Naruto a vicious glare. The blonde grinned sheepishly and stopped.

"Sorry. Okay, lemme try again."

Three tries later and Sasuke was afraid he'd pass out. This time, their bond unraveled on its own. Raking fingers through his damp hair, Sasuke gave Naruto another glare. It was half-hearted from sheer exhaustion.

"You're not improving even a little," he said, voice not as waspish as he wanted. "Are you trying at all?"

For the first time, the cheerfulness had vanished from Naruto's countenance. He looked frustrated as he copied Sasuke's gesture and dug his fingers into his hair.

"I don't get it. I tell myself to do something, but it's like my body has a will of its own. I know what I have to do, but I just can't _do_ it!"

Relenting somewhat, Sasuke shook his hands and arms to wake them up. "I can show you," he offered. "Would that help?"

Some of the good humor returned to sky-blue eyes. "Yeah! That'd be awesome."

Sasuke held up his hands, and Naruto's larger ones curled around them. Slowly and carefully, he began to channel _chakra_ into as fine and narrow a line as he could. His control wasn't perfect, so this kind of thing was basically impossible for him in the heat of sparring. But in this kind of environment, when he could take his time, his skills were more than adequate.

"Channeling," he said absently, "is precision work. When you're learning the basics, there's no need to rush. Accomplishing your goal quickly with perfect control is something that comes with practice. So it's important to learn how to do it well _slowly_ , then build up speed." He stopped. "Now you try."

"Wow, okay!" Naruto said, shifting on his butt a little. "That seems pretty easy!"

No sooner had the words escaped his mouth than he channeled a huge fucking wave. Sasuke instantly yanked his hands free, breaking their bond.

" _Slowly_ , moron!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Naruto said, definitely not sounding contrite enough to appease Sasuke. And his stupid grin returned as he held up his hands. "Lemme try again. I'll get it."

 _I really doubt that,_ Sasuke thought, glaring as he linked hands and reestablished the bond. Naruto frowned and closed his eyes, concentration visibly covering his face. Then he began channeling their _chakra_ again. Like before it started out too much, but before Sasuke could protest the volume of the wave shrank to less than half, then continued narrowing. _Huh. Imagine that. I guess he can learn. Maybe not such an idiot after all._

"Heh, heh, heh!" Naruto chuckled. "I am a genius!"

His control slipped, and the flow expanded right back into an enormous wave.

And nope. Still an idiot. Sasuke once more cut him off, resisting yet another urge to punch the blonde in the face. He settled for digging his nails into the guy's hands again.

"Pay attention!" he snapped. "If you don't maintain focus, that's what happens. You can't push pause on channeling, it requires constant concentration. Do it again. And if you lose focus one more time, I'm gonna kick you in the balls so hard you barf them up!"

Looking a little queasy, Naruto swallowed and settled down. "All right. This time for sure."

~o0o~

Two hours later, Sasuke was completely drained. The channels in his body along which _chakra_ flowed felt raw and burned, and his body was numb with exhaustion. He didn't like admitting it (and would never do so aloud), but Naruto had actually improved quite a bit. His control was by no means excellent, but the guy had an impressive facility for learning quickly.

"Today was awesome!" the blonde Controller exclaimed, leaping to his feet.

And a seemingly endless supply of stamina. Sasuke could barely move. "It was many things," he said primly, "but awesome was not one of them."

"Hmph," Naruto grumped. "You're a real ass. But, I don't mind! We're awesome together!"

Sasuke kept his sigh internal. That statement wasn't true. They were terrible together. They didn't complement each other, their personalities clashed, and Naruto had the attention span of a gnat. He had a feeling it would take a lot of repetitions for Naruto to be able to perform the basic _chakra_ exercises without concentrating.

In essence, Naruto was the _worst_ possible Controller for Sasuke. He needed someone level-headed, even-keeled, and highly skilled. He didn't say any of this. Simply, he didn't have the energy.

Naruto held out a hand to him, and his grin this time was different. A bit more mellow. Sasuke didn't even think about it, he just took it and let the blonde haul him to his feet. His legs wobbled alarmingly, and a strong arm around his waist steadied him. Naruto chuckled quietly.

"We worked hard, didn't we?" he murmured, slinging Sasuke's arm around his neck.

They walked like this all the way back to the dorms. A distant voice whined at Sasuke he shouldn't give Naruto his room number, but it was too far off to warn him in time. When they finally reached his door, Sasuke managed to straighten and shook Naruto off.

The blonde's obnoxious grin had returned. "Tomorrow? Same time?"

Sasuke suspected if he punched Naruto, he wouldn't be able to stop his momentum and he'd fall on his face. "Fine," he forced out between clenched teeth. He put his palm on the hand scanner, and the door unlocked. He stormed inside and slammed it in Naruto's face.

He barely made it to the bed before collapsing. Immediately darkness crept in, sleep eagerly waiting to swallow him up. It would have been nice to get out of his uniform, but he seriously did not have the strength.

His last conscious thought was one of distant amazement,

 _Huh. I didn't think of Itachi once today._


	4. Realizations

**A/N:** Yes, I realize that in the anime/manga, "Konoha" is short for "Konohagakure" which means "Village Hidden in the Leaf". I don't care. I'm taking poetic license with Naruto's hometown here.

* * *

 **An Alternative to Drugs**

Naruto didn't see Sasuke anywhere around during lunch the next day, but for once he didn't mind. He ate at a leisurely pace with his three best friends, glad to be together with them after a week of seeing hardly each other.

"So how's the persuasion of the ice prince coming?" Shikamaru asked in such a way that suggested he didn't give a shit about the answer.

"You didn't know?" Kiba replied before Naruto could, tearing into a slab of meat that looked slightly too rare. "Yesterday he finally got Sasuke to agree to partnering. How did you manage that, anyway?" Looking at Naruto.

Who shrugged and gave them his trademark fox grin. "I'm very persuasive. I just explained to him how awesome I am, and he jumped on board."

"Hm," Choji said, working on rapidly-disappearing mashed potatoes. "Is that really what happened? Do people change their minds so easily?"

"Hey, it was _not_ easy," Naruto protested. "It took me a _week_!" And he wasn't about to relax, either. If he couldn't improve on a couple fronts, Sasuke wouldn't agree to partner with him anymore, regardless of his dirt on the other teen.

He didn't want Sasuke to keep agreeing because of that, anyway.

"Well, it is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, I guess," Kiba mused.

"Hmph. What a pain," Shikamaru muttered.

"Man, have you even sparred once?" Kiba demanded, looking at the unmotivated teen.

"Several times," Choji answered for him. "He fought with that girl Karin. They were really impressive together. I wouldn't be surprised if they bond at the end of the year."

"Ugh," Shikamaru grunted. "Who'd want to pair with a girl? Too troublesome."

Naruto couldn't help it and laughed. "Do you want to pair with _anyone_?"

"Maybe not," Shikamaru said. "I only came because my dad pressured me. But it's even more of a pain than I thought it'd be." He waved a lazy hand.

"I love it," Kiba enthused. "I've fought with probably a dozen Coordinators now. Have any of you guys fought with that friend of Sasuke's? Gaara? I've heard he's pretty good."

The other three shook their heads. Naruto's thoughts wandered, then he suddenly jumped up. "I'll see you guys later, okay? I'm gonna go find Sakura-chan."

"What?" Kiba said. "Why? You got the hots for her?"

"Nope," Naruto replied. "I'm gonna ask her for help. She's really good at _chakra_ control. Figure she could give me some pointers."

"Oh?" Shikamaru said, not sounding interested at all. "Gotta impress that jerk of yours?"

"He's not a jerk," Naruto defended without thinking. Then he couldn't help snorting. "Well, he can kinda be a jerk, I guess."

"Maybe I'll partner with him," Choji said, attacking his grilled meat with gusto.

"He's pretty fucking awesome," Kiba said as Naruto waved and trotted out of the cafeteria.

Tracking Sakura down took a bit of patience. She wasn't in the sparring halls, and eventually he found her and her best friend Ino in the enormous campus library. A place Naruto would never voluntarily go. He waved and made his way to the table where they sat.

"Hi, Sakura-chan!" he greeted her.

She smiled. "Hi, Naruto. You doing a little studying, too?"

"Me? Hell no," Naruto said, shuddering. "Actually, I was gonna ask for your help, but I guess you're probably too busy."

She closed her books. "Not at all. What is it?"

"I was hoping you might have some pointers for me," Naruto said. "I'm not the best at _chakra_ control, and you two are pretty fucking awesome at it."

Ino immediately straightened, looking pleased to be included. "You bet we are! And we can give you plenty of pointers. What do you say, Sakura? Should we help out our handsome fellow Controller?"

Naruto couldn't help grinning at the compliment.

Sakura's pretty smile returned. "Of course. Come on. There are always a few private sparring rooms open this time of day."

"You two are the best!" Naruto enthused. "You been getting in a lot of practice with various Coordinators?"

"More than you," Ino teased. "I partnered with one of Sasuke's close friends. Suigetsu? He's really good. He's actually got higher averages than Sasuke, though not as high as Gaara."

"Huh," Naruto said. "You like him for a potential partner?"

"I think so," Ino replied. "Sakura partnered up with Hinata Hyuga for the first time yesterday, and they fought _really_ well together."

"She's got a shy personality off the sparring mat," Sakura said, "but she's very skilled and moves with incredible speed. And her control is excellent. We are meeting up tonight after classes to see how long we can maintain a bond."

Pleased they had good potential partners already, Naruto chatted amiably all the way to the east wings. The girls talked a little about their classes, but Sakura was more book smart than him so he sort of lost interest. Ino seemed to notice and changed the subject, asking how he'd enjoyed his first partner-up with Sasuke. He was plenty happy to talk about that.

The trio picked one of the empty sparring rooms. The girls looked around, and Ino nodded. "Okay, let's sit down and get to work."

"Let's just see where you're at," Sakura said as the three sat in a circle, "and then we can see what tricks to teach you. So go ahead and channel your _chakra_ into a ball in your palm. Try to make it as steady a size as you can."

Nodding, Naruto shook his hands out and took several slow, deep breaths. Then he cupped his palms. Thanks to exhaustive exercises last night, he managed to start the _chakra_ flow relatively fine. It wasn't probably as good as it should be, but there was improvement from yesterday. And like Sasuke had said, the trick was to start slow. It took a lot of concentration to maintain it, though. He kept it up, trying to guide the flow into a ball.

Most Shinobi students learned this exercise, but Naruto's training had been different, to say the least.

"Hm, okay," Ino said, her pink _chakra_ glowing around her, "you can stop. Based on what I can see, you haven't received proper instruction on this skill. Would you agree, Sakura?"

Sakura nodded. "Definitely. It's a difficult skill to learn when you're just getting started, but you have a big advantage in that you can already channel _chakra_ at will. So, Ino and I will do it, you watch. Then you try it again, and we'll coach you through it."

"Awesome," Naruto said, shifting to get more comfortable.

The girls each channeled their _chakras_ into a pink and jade green sphere. It was about the size of a baseball, and they both maintained them for sixty seconds before slowly unraveling them.

"So the best tip we can give you for starting out," Ino said, "is to start slowly. The faster your flow, the less your control."

"The easiest way to form a sphere," Sakura added, "is to think of it as a ball of yarn. Just wrap a thin flow around and around until you have a sphere."

"Wow," Naruto muttered. "You make it look so easy."

Sakura smiled. "If it was easy, anyone could do it. Your sense of accomplishment will be all the greater when you succeed."

 _Damn, she's so much nicer about this than Sasuke._ Naruto groaned and stretched his arms. "Okay. Let's do this."

~o0o~

Naruto ran full-tilt down to the individual training rooms, and he broke into a grin both apologetic and excited to see Sasuke already waiting for him. The raven-haired Coordinator was leaning against the wall by the door, arms folded, expression _very_ cross. When he saw Naruto he straightened, unfolding his arms and glaring at him.

"I've been waiting for twenty minutes," he snapped.

Naruto scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry! I had some questions for my instructor last class. You ready to get started?"

"Hn."

Naruto ushered him in first, closing and locking the door behind them. As he watched, Sasuke kicked off his boots, socks, and the long arm covers of his uniform. For some reason, seeing him like that made him look totally different, and Naruto noticed things he'd never really noticed before.

"You sure are skinny," he blurted.

Sasuke threw him an icy glare, but it thawed after a moment. He shrugged. "Side effect of the drug. I lose my appetite."

Talking about Sasuke's . . . habit . . . didn't seem safe at all. They were hardly friends. But Naruto's self-control had always been iffy.

"Why do you use?" he asked.

In the middle of stretching, Sasuke's spine stiffened. He didn't look at Naruto. "Come on. Can't you guess?"

Naruto stared blankly. "How the hell should I know? I don't exactly know many junkies."

The term made Sasuke shoot him a dark look. "I meant because of who I am."

"Yeah . . . ?" Naruto said, starting to feel annoyance at having to drag every little thing out of Sasuke. "And that's important because . . . ?"

Sasuke's countenance abruptly clouded. "You don't realize. Never mind then."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Realize what? You can't just start saying shit and then stop in the middle. It's a rule."

The other teen's lips twitched a _teeny_ bit, and Naruto felt his pulse give an odd little jump. Was that a grin?

"It is not, _dobe_."

"Oy, don't call me that, bastard! Just because I graduated at the bottom of my class doesn't mean I'm somehow worse than you or inferior -"

"Why did you graduate last?" Sasuke interrupted, now looking genuinely curious. "You said your training was different somehow."

Talking about that was sort of painful, but Naruto sighed and didn't protest. After all, if Sasuke knew more about him he might thaw toward him further. He sat down on the padded floor and gestured the other to sit. Which he did.

"My family situation's kinda complicated," he began. "My parents died when I was really little. Not even a year old. I grew up in this shitty little town where everyone knows everybody else and everyone judges everyone else. You know, the usual."

A soft snort. "Yeah."

It was the mellowest sound Naruto had ever heard him make. "Anyway," he said, "the circumstances of my parents' death was really strange. I was . . . well, I was kinda blamed for it. The people in town basically treated me like shit all through my childhood. I really had to fight to get anyone to acknowledge me. But there was this one teacher. Iruka-sensei. He believed in me and gave me private lessons. I managed to learn just enough to graduate so I could come here."

The faintest hint of a smile curved Sasuke's lips. "You're from Konohagakure."

"Yep - wait! How did you know that?"

"Iruka-sensei," Sasuke said. "I know him. His partner is my legal guardian."

"What? Oh, you mean his Controller?"

"No, I mean his life partner," Sasuke corrected. "Well, Kakashi _is_ Iruka-sensei's Controller, too."

"Whoa, whoa, what?" Naruto said. "Kakashi-sensei is your legal guardian? Our bad-ass Program Director of the Shinobi training program?"

Something strange flickered over Sasuke's face. "Yeah."

It gave Naruto pause. This was the most human he'd ever seen Sasuke, and he really wanted to keep up this rapport, so he asked as gently as he could, "What happened to your parents?"

"You should know," Sasuke said after a moment.

Naruto frowned, studying Sasuke's face, trying to read between the lines. Whatever the other teen wasn't telling him clearly pained him. Naruto recognized that expression perfectly well. _Okay, what do I know about Sasuke. Not much. I don't even know his hometown. His family name is Uchiha. Family trees aren't exactly listed in the student files -_

Then it occurred to him.

 _Oh. OH._ Suddenly Naruto felt like a jackass. "Sasuke, I . . . I'm sorry," he finished lamely. "I didn't realize . . ."

"It's fine," Sasuke cut him off. "I like it better when people don't treat me differently."

It was four years ago now. In fact, Naruto couldn't believe he hadn't realized sooner. After all, the Uchiha family were also from Konohagakure, though they hadn't lived there in years. They were wealthy and prominent, and its members had many successful Shinobi who'd graduated from The Academy. In fact, the head of the family had actually married his Coordinator.

 _I think Fugaku was Sasuke's father's name,_ Naruto thought, mind racing, _and Mikoto his mother's. That's right. They had two sons, one a really damn powerful Controller and the other a Coordinator with massive potential._

It wasn't common for a family to have both Controllers and Coordinators among the children, but the Uchiha family had always been exceptional in every way.

And then, in the middle of the night, one terrible night, the oldest son had killed every member of the household. On that particular night several extended family members had been there, including Fugaku's sisters and nephews and nieces. Itachi Uchiha had slaughtered every single one of them. Police had described the crime as "unnecessarily brutal".

The worst part was Sasuke. Him, Itachi had spared. But it wasn't as though the twelve-year-old child had slept through the carnage. No, according to the media, Itachi had dragged his little brother into the main room where he'd gathered their family and proceeded to murder them all right in front of his brother.

The terrible crime had been splashed all over the news for a year. And Naruto vaguely remembered hearing that Sasuke had spent months and months in the hospital, completely catatonic. Every muscle in his body tightened in sympathy. Then he shook his head and put on his fox grin.

"Well, don't think I'll go easy on ya just because you have an angsty past," he warned.

As though Sasuke hadn't witnessed the most horrible thing a child could witness.

Sasuke's eye twitched. "The one who won't be going easy is me, _usuratonkachi._ " The words were sharp, but the tone held a hint of gratitude.

Naruto smirked. "Bring it."

Was that amusement in Sasuke's black, black eyes? He held out his hands. "Astonish me."

Hopping up, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's hands and spun him around to embrace him from behind. "Let me transform this time. I learned a new trick."

"Hn."

Sasuke opened up his _chakra_ , and Naruto felt deeply impressed by how quickly and easily the Coordinator linked them up. It allowed Naruto to transform in about half a second. It was a sensation, losing his physical body. He could still see as though he were floating right behind Sasuke, could see his Coordinator holding the long black _katana_ sword. He took a moment to admire how sexy he looked in Sasuke's skilled hands.

 _"Okay,"_ he said, thrumming with excitement, _"you just do whatever moves you want."_

The slightly smaller teen dropped into a fighting stance and flowed into motion. He wasn't, Naruto thought, any shorter than the blonde. Maybe a millimeter. But he felt so much smaller thanks to how skinny he was. _Maybe I can find a way to help him so he doesn't have to use anymore._

Slow and steady, he began to channel _chakra_ from them both. He controlled the flow much better than yesterday, and he curled the strands around the blade rather than just surrounding the blade with a haze.

"Hn," Sasuke said again. "I guess even idiots can learn."

 _"Enough with the idiot talk!"_ Naruto protested. _"Could an idiot do this?"_

The strands of _chakra_ began to vibrate wildly, changing the air pressure around the blade. Sasuke seemed to understand before Naruto could offer explanation, because he spun with incredible grace and made a wide slashing motion. Miniature blades of pressurized air flew outward in a hissing arc, blasting little bits of plaster from the walls where they struck.

"You've gotten a little better," Sasuke said, his tone suggesting he would rather gargle glass. "Ask someone for help, did you?"

 _"Sure did,"_ Naruto had no problem admitting. _"I want to be the best I can for you."_

A very slight pause. "Why?"

 _"Because you're the best,"_ Naruto said. _"It's obvious."_

Another twitch of his lips, and Sasuke resumed those wonderful motions that looked like a deadly dance. Naruto could seriously watch him all day. He kept the flow to his blade constant, powering up that wind attack now and then.

"Do it again," Sasuke abruptly commanded, dropping into a crouch.

Curious, Naruto obeyed. When he was ready, Sasuke abruptly sprang up, sprinted halfway across the mat, then launched himself into the air. The katana swept wide and vicious through the air as if slashing through an enormous foe. Naruto released his new attack, and as he did so, they burst into flame. The damage they caused when they struck the wall this time was more severe.

Sasuke landed and straightened, wearing a very small smirk. "A little more practice and that could be an impressive attack."

 _"Whaddaya mean with practice?"_ Naruto demanded. _"It's already impressive! Especially when you added your fire. You and I are amazing together, even you have to admit that was awesome!"_

"Hn. Your control has gotten a little better," Sasuke said, making a few graceful slashes, "but you're still wasting quite a bit of my _chakra_."

Unable to help it, Naruto chuckled. _"You are such a critical bastard. You ever gonna cut me some slack?"_

"Once your control is perfect," Sasuke said. He abruptly sighed and carefully unraveled their bond. "I'm tired."

They'd only been practicing for maybe half an hour. Once he transformed, Naruto quickly headed Sasuke off. "Are you gonna use tonight?"

Looking slightly cornered, Sasuke gave him a faint glare. "None of your business."

Naruto reached out and grabbed his arms. "Don't," he said, squeezing gently. Sasuke's skinny arms seemed so fragile. "Don't use anymore."

Sasuke wrenched away, all the hostility returning to his face and posture. "You said you wouldn't tell anyone about it if I partnered with you once," he snapped, "so unless you mean to break that promise, stop trying to control me."

"It's not that," Naruto insisted, once again cutting Sasuke off again before he could reach his boots. "It's not good for you, Sasuke."

Backing out of reach as if expecting an attack of some sort, Sasuke started pacing, looking for all the world like an agitated cat. "Don't talk about it as if you have any idea what it's like for me."

"You're right," Naruto said, spreading his hands and shrugging, "I don't. But I can help you, Sasuke. I know I can."

Actually curling his upper lip away from his teeth in a snarl, Sasuke turned away from him. "How? Can you chase away the images of blood? The smell of bile and spilled gut? The sounds of screaming and my brother's -" He cut himself off, throwing another glare at Naruto.

But it wasn't hostility in his eyes, it was torment. Naruto felt his heart bleeding. He forced it to stay out of his expression. It would only push Sasuke away. He took the few steps necessary to once more grab Sasuke's upper arms. "Stay here," he insisted. "Spar with me. Spar with me all night. Until we're exhausted and you can't even think. Until you can't dream."

Sasuke gazed at him intently for long moments, expression unreadable. Then he relaxed. Well, no, Naruto corrected. He didn't relax. He gave in. "Fine, I'll try it. But if it doesn't work, we're not doing this again."

"Fair enough," Naruto didn't argue, plenty happy to have even a single night. He only needed one to convince Sasuke. He just knew it would work.

~o0o~

Hours and hours later, even Naruto's legendary stamina had waned. Sasuke was all but asleep on his feet, eyes drooping with exhaustion. Naruto couldn't exactly say his control had improved, but his rapport with Sasuke had. It was a natural process when a Coordinator and Controller paired up over and over again. They began to understand each other's fighting styles and anticipate each other's moves.

It was a good sign, and Naruto was more than pleased with the night's progress. Sasuke had become less and less hostile as the night wore on, and while he wasn't exactly being friendly, he was no longer being deliberately mean.

Sasuke didn't protest Naruto grabbing his arm and slinging it over his shoulders and hauling him to his feet. In fact, he sagged weakly against Naruto. He leaned against the blonde, accepting his help to put his boots back on. He didn't shake Naruto off as the Controller helped him walk out of the sparring halls and back to the dormitories. He didn't even protest when Naruto helped him right inside his dorm and into the bedroom.

Lowering Sasuke onto his bed, Naruto pulled Sasuke's boots off. The raven Coordinator flopped backward, eyes closed.

"Go to your own room," Sasuke commanded, voice a little slurred.

Grinning, Naruto straightened. _Cute._ "G'night, Sasuke. I'll see you tomorrow."

Little more than a grunt answered him, and Naruto let him be. He had a feeling Sasuke was asleep before his dorm room door clicked shut.

 **~*o0o o0o*~**

Getting up early had never been easy for Naruto, but he made himself get up an hour earlier the next morning. He hurried through his morning ablutions, and he was almost done when Kiba shambled into the bathroom.

"Man," he grumbled, "why the hell are you up so early?"

"Gonna go talk to Kakashi-sensei," Naruto replied. Then he grinned. "You look like shit."

"Thanks a lot," Kiba grunted, slugging him in the arm. "Why are you so lively? You came back really fucking late last night."

Naruto shrugged. "Dunno. Yesterday was a really good day. Today's gonna be even better."

"Yeah?" Kiba said, standing in front of the toilet to take a piss. "Gonna partner with Sasuke again?"

"Nah, not today," Naruto said. "He could use a break. He's the reason I came back so late last night. Got a few other things planned for today."

"Oh? Gonna finally partner up with someone else?" Kiba asked.

"Mm hm. I'm gonna ask Sasuke's friend, Gaara. His scores are basically perfect. I think it would be good for me to practice with someone who has perfect control."

Kiba nodded, finishing and tucking himself back in. "Good idea. That what you gonna see Kakashi-sensei about?"

"Yep."

"That guy's a royal badass," Kiba commented. "I read about him. He and his Coordinator are really high up the military chain of command, did you know that? He's _really_ fucking powerful."

"Cool," Naruto said, grinning and feeling excited. "He's Sasuke's legal guardian. Did you know that?"

"Um, yeah . . . I think I remember reading about that. Kakashi-sensei was pretty close to Uchiha family, as I recall. I think he was in the same division as Fugaku Uchiha. They were both Division Generals."

"Whoa, no shit!" Naruto exclaimed. "I had no idea."

"How did you have no idea?" Kiba demanded, slugging his shoulder again. "They're both from Konohagakure!"

"I know, I know," Naruto said. "But you know me."

"Sure do," Kiba said, shambling back to bed.

A light drizzle fell from the gray sky when Naruto jogged outside to the central building. It felt cool and refreshing against his face, and he didn't mind one bit. It was light enough not to get him wet, much. He trotted to the instructors' offices, peeking through the window to make sure Kakashi-sensei was in before knocking and pushing the door open.

"Good morning, Kakashi-sensei!" he chirped. "Can I talk to you a sec?"

"Good morning, Naruto-kun," Kakashi returned. "Of course. Are you here about Sasuke?"

"I wanted to talk to you about - wait! How did you know?"

Kakashi's only visible eye squinted, indicating his smile. "Well, you've been partnering with my kid a lot for the last two days. I always monitor Sasuke's scores."

"Oh, right," Naruto said, grinning sheepishly. "Yeah, I kinda had my eye on Sasuke right away. We're getting a little better, but I was wondering if you had any advice. You're one of the best Controllers in the country."

"True," Kakashi said, nodding. "Advice, hm? No, I don't have any advice. I do, however, have an idea. A training tool designed to help Controllers who struggle with controlling _chakra_. I could obtain one, I'm sure, if you want to give that a try."

"Really?" Naruto said, enthused. "Yeah! I'd love that. Thanks a million, Kakashi-sensei!"

The older man's eye squinted again. "You're welcome. And I do have a suggestion. Try partnering with other Coordinators. It isn't a good idea to limit yourself too much in your first year."

Leaning back a little, Naruto folded his hands behind his head. "Yeah, I'm gonna give Sasuke a little break. We worked really hard the last two days. And I've been working with the best Controller from this year, trying to improve."

"Ah, Sakura-chan?" Kakashi said, nodding. "A good choice. She will be a formidable Controller when she expands her repertoire of skills." He rested his elbows on his desk and folded his hands. "You should also practice more with your second form. That particular form is very difficult to master, but it can be immensely powerful. It is best suited to a Coordinator with both excellent control and a deep well of _chakra_. Sasuke only fits one of those criteria."

That sounded a lot like an attempt to dissuade Naruto from pursuing Sasuke, so he did the best thing. He ignored it. "Thanks again, Kakashi-sensei. I'll be back when you have that training tool for me!" Waving, he trotted out of the office.

The soft sound of the man's chuckle followed him out.

Spirits lifted, Naruto jogged down to the cafeteria. He found Choji right away, no surprise there. His friend had heaped his plate full of sausage and eggs, and Naruto grinned to see Sakura and Ino had joined him. And sitting next to Sakura was a dark-haired girl Naruto had never met but recognized.

"Hi!" he greeted her brightly, holding out his hand. "You must be Hinata. I'm Naruto."

She looked flustered as she slowly took his hand. "Hi," she all but whispered, quickly retracting her hand and looking down, pink rising in her cheeks.

Naruto plopped down beside Choji with his own breakfast. "You guys got plans for lunch?"

"Yep," Choji replied around his mouthful. "Me and Ino are gonna partner up with some Coordinators and spar with Sakura and Hinata. Shikamaru promised to join us. You should, too."

Nodding, Naruto swallowed his mouthful of pancakes and syrup. This place had amazing food. "You bet! Which sparring hall?"

"The big one in the middle," Ino replied. "You should see if you can get someone other than Sasuke to pair up with you."

"I'm gonna ask Gaara," Naruto told her.

"Good," Choji said, stuffing an entire sausage patty into his mouth. "You shouldn't limit yourself during our first year."

Naruto clapped him on the back. "You guys are good friends, so concerned about me."

"That guy Sasuke's an ass," Choji stated.

Naruto gave him a weak glare. "He is not. Well, okay, he kinda is. But he hasn't had it easy, so give him a break."

"Neither have you," Choji said around a mouthful of eggs, "and you're not an ass."

Unable to help it, Naruto started laughing. "You're a good guy."

"You're also disgusting," Ino groaned. "Can you _please_ stop talking with food in your mouth? It's really gross."

"Sorry," Choji said, munching on his toast.

"Clearly not _that_ sorry," Ino muttered.

Still chuckling, Naruto turned his attention to finishing breakfast.


	5. Influence

**Challenge Me, Make Me Better**

For once, Naruto threw himself into his morning classes with gusto. They weren't, he figured, meant to bore him. They were meant to help him. The whole boring thing was just an unfortunate side-effect. He actually learned a little, and by lunch he was incredibly fired up. He sprinted to his dorm to dump his book bag, then sprinted to the cafeteria.

"Yo, Naruto!" Choji said, already in the process of eating a plate full of meat. With Ino already haranguing him he needed to eat more vegetables.

Grabbing enough food to fuel up, Naruto sat down between Sakura and Shikamaru. "Haven't seen you in a few days," he said to Shika. "How are classes and sparring?"

Shikamaru groaned. "Classes are so troublesome. And only girls will partner with me. Girls are troublesome."

Ino leaned across the table to punch him in the shoulder. Hard, by the looks of it. "What's so troublesome about girls?" she demanded.

He rubbed his arm, trying to lean away. "They do shit like that."

"Girls are better than guys," Choji said around a mouthful of beef.

Ino snorted. "Why? Because they taste better?" She shoved him playfully.

Even Shikamaru cracked a grin at that.

"Nah, girls are smarter," Choji said, swallowing a mouthful of chicken. "And prettier."

"And statistically," Sakura added, brushing her cotton-candy pink hair over her shoulder, "we're better Controllers."

"Yep," Choji agreed.

Shikamaru sighed. "That's why they're troublesome," he said, looking at Naruto as if wanting backup.

Naruto grinned and shrugged. "I'm kinda with Choji, man."

The door at the far end of the cafeteria opened, and Naruto waved at Kiba. He had Hinata by his side, and as soon as she saw Naruto she blushed. Naruto didn't think anything of it as the two joined them.

"Hey, man!" Naruto greeted him, and the pair slapped their palms together. "You gonna join us after lunch?"

"Heck yeah," Kiba said. "I met Sasuke's friend, Suigetsu. We're gonna go for a spin. His scores are pretty damn impressive. And I haven't seen him fight yet."

Pleasant conversation went on for another half hour, then the group of friends put their dishes away and headed to the sparring halls.

"So," Sakura said, looking at Ino, "me and Hinata against you and that cute guy we met yesterday? What was his name?"

Ino grinned. "Yuki," she said. "You have a near-perfect memory, and you can't remember his name."

"Gimme a break," she chuckled.

Kiba looked at Naruto. "Me and Suigetsu against you and Gaara?"

"Sounds good," Naruto said, nodding.

In the sparring halls, Naruto saw Gaara, Suigetsu, Neji, and Sasuke. The four of them were known as the princes of The Academy. Apparently all four were from wealthy families. Well, Naruto knew that about two of them. The Hyuga family, like the Uchiha family, were from Konohagakure. They didn't live there anymore, thanks to their active roles in the Imperial Army, but they were from Konohagakure.

As he entered with his friends, Sasuke's ebony eyes found him immediately. Was it his imagination, or was some of the hostility in them gone? Naruto, with Kiba on his heels, walked toward the four of them. Kiba waved a hand at Suigetsu.

"Hey," he said, grinning. "You ready to spar?"

Suigetsu brushed a lock of silvery platinum hair behind his ear and smiled. "I sure am. I've been dying to partner with you ever since you sparred with Sasuke. Never fought with a Controller like you before."

Naruto looked over at Gaara. "Hey, Gaara," he said, grinning. "Wanna spar with me?"

The redhead looked faintly surprised. But he straightened without hesitation. "Yes," he said.

Pleased, Naruto winked at Sasuke and led Gaara up to the sparring mat. The slightly shorter teen took his hands when Naruto offered his, peering up into Naruto's eyes with an unreadable expression.

"What is your third form?" he asked.

"I'll show it to you some time," Naruto said, grinning as he turned Gaara around, their hands linked. "It's really hard for me to control, so I don't like fighting with it yet. You want my first or second form?"

"First," Gaara replied, initiating the link, "for now."

It was as fast as Sasuke, and now he held a long black katana sword in his hands. The well of his _chakra_ was as deep as Sasuke's.

"Hm," Gaara said, "you're as strong as Sasuke said."

 _"What?"_ Naruto said, feeling a burst of excitement. _"Sasuke talks about me?"_

"Yes," Gaara said, performing a few graceful slashes as Suigetsu faced him with Kiba. "Though nothing complimentary, I assure you."

Ah, well, it was too much to hope that Sasuke considered him a friend. Yet. _"Well, it'll happen. Let's kick their asses, Gaara. Show me what you got."_

Gaara's expression didn't change as he took a defensive stance and waited for Suigetsu.

Naruto divided his attention long enough to glance at Sasuke. The raven-haired Coordinator was watching, and Naruto couldn't quite define the expression on his face. There was a little curiosity, definitely. But his ebony eyes were sort of appraising, as if they were measuring Naruto's performance. It was like receiving a shot of pure adrenaline to the heart. Naruto broke into a huge grin.

 _He's watching me. Yeah, you watch me, Sasuke. I'll impress the hell out of you._

~o0o~

Gaara was an incredibly impressive Coordinator. Sasuke never got tired of watching him spar. He thought often, _He'll be this year's Neji._ And because his control was perfect, he handled Naruto with more efficiency than Sasuke. It was actually kind of entertaining to watch them spar with Suigetsu and Kiba. Slouching against the rail blocking off the huge sparring mat, Jugo snorted.

"Guess that lazy Controller finally found someone who can keep him under control," he commented. "Hey, wanna get your tiny ass up there and spar with me?"

Sasuke gave him a flat look. "You're already partnered, so no. It's not even possible."

Jugo sighed. "It's not fair that just because I'm a year older than you I can't bond with you or Gaara. It's bullshit."

On his other side, Neji made a soft sound that might have been amusement. "I'm going to go meet Tenten in one of the sparring rooms. I'll see you two tonight."

Sasuke threw him an absent wave, most of his attention riveted to his two friends sparring each other with their respective Controllers. It was easy to see Naruto's improvement in just two days, and Sasuke allowed himself to feel grudging admiration. Whatever else Naruto might be, he was certainly determined.

As the match drew into minutes, Sasuke found his eyes going back to Kiba. The longer he watched the Controller's unusual form, the more he found himself curious about Naruto's third form. The two pairs couldn't seem to get the upper hand on each other, and eventually they had to end when neither Coordinator could maintain their bond.

Suigetsu grinned. "Let's switch Controllers," he said. "Naruto, change into that big fucking gun."

They linked, and Gaara linked with Kiba. Somehow, they both looked more natural this way. So intent was Sasuke on the fight he didn't even notice another Controller approach him, and he jumped when a cool hand touched his arm. He declined, too curious to see how this fight would end.

Gaara and Kiba took the offensive immediately, Kiba going straight for the gun with gaping jaws. Suigetsu leaped up into the air, the barrels of the gun already charging. But as Kiba neared, the spines all over the gun suddenly began to glow. As one, they flew off the gun straight for Gaara. It forced Kiba to retract to protect his Coordinator, and he did so with amazing speed. The spines bounced harmlessly away.

Suigetsu pressed his advantage, one of the barrels firing. Gaara executed a perfect diving tumble to avoid it, and Kiba once more went for the barrel. The spines had not yet returned, so this time his jaws clamped around it without worry. But even as he began to shake his head to physically dislodge them and break their bond, the spines on the ground began to glow and once more flew at Gaara.

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly. _He's fighting with much more proficiency today. Is it because Gaara and Suigetsu are both better Coordinators?_ He felt a rueful smile. _Like I said before, you and I are poorly suited to each other, Naruto._

Kiba again had to abandon his attack to protect Gaara. The spines retracted back to the gun once Kiba deflected them, and Sasuke could see his frustration.

Gaara sprang forward, hands beginning to form a _ninjutsu_ seal. Kiba's form abruptly split, and now there were three ethereal wolves rising form his back. All three flew at Suigetsu and Naruto, and this time only one of them had to return to protect Gaara from the spines and a second barrel discharging. One wolf grabbed the gun, the other grabbed Suigetsu.

Sasuke felt himself grinning, his own adrenaline surging from the sheer excitement of the fight. Kiba's two heads shook, tearing the Coordinator and Controller apart, unraveling their bond. Some scattered cheers went up around the sparring arena as the four students faced each other, all grinning. Well, Gaara's face looked the same, but to someone who knew him well he was clearly pleased.

A blonde girl stepped up onto the mat. Sasuke recognized her as Temari, one of this year's most impressive Controllers. She looked at Gaara. "You and him against me and Sasuke." She pointed at Naruto.

Plenty curious to fight against Naruto himself, Sasuke stepped up onto the mat. Gaara, of course, didn't refuse. The two Coordinators linked with the two Controllers, and Sasuke faced one of his best friends. Concentration was the only thing in Gaara's expression, and Sasuke appreciated not being underestimated. While he might not be the better Coordinator of the pair, Temari was the better Controller.

Releasing the enormous fan, Sasuke leaped high into the air, gathering _chakra_ to gain height and momentum. The great fan hovered right behind him in the air, fully spread. Sasuke quickly formed a seal, gathering _chakra_ into his lungs. Naruto had taken his second form again, and the spines on the gun once more flew off, straight for him.

 _"Child's play,"_ Temari scoffed.

Sasuke snatched the fan and made a wide sweeping motion. Temari gathered _chakra_ into it, and the force of her gale sent the spines flying. Sasuke instantly unleashed his own attack, his most commonly used _ninjutsu_ : a huge fireball. Temari chuckled.

 _"You and I actually have highly complementing skills,"_ she said.

Sasuke used the fan to sweep his fireball larger and faster. Gaara raised the enormous gun, and a discharge from one of the barrels blasted the fireball apart. Sasuke didn't relent. He knew from personal experience it took Naruto several seconds to power that attack. He spun the fan, sweeping blade after blade of pure wind pressure down at Gaara. It forced his best friend into defense, not a position he usually had to take.

A split second later, Naruto changed forms back to the long black katana. Now Gaara slashed through the rapidly vibrating air, dispersing Temari's attacks. He leaped into the air, the blade a blur in his hands as he lunged for Sasuke. Not about to get into close quarter combat with an expert, Sasuke easily faded away, forming a quick seal for another fireball and sweeping the fan to make it faster and bigger.

As soon as he hit the mat, Sasuke dropped the fan and tucked into a roll. Regaining his feet, he spun to visually orient himself. And only narrowly avoided being hit. Gaara was still right with him. _Shit he's so fast,_ Sasuke thought. Temari was hovering right behind him, one of the very few Controllers who could maintain her form without a physical connection. He grabbed the fan and collapsed it, using it like a staff to parry Gaara's slash with his sword.

Then he snapped the fan open and swept it toward Gaara. It forced his friend to the side to dodge being hit. Sasuke gratefully leaped back into the air to put some distance between them and dropped Temari, forming the seal for another fireball, but this time he made it in three quick successions.

Three fireballs burst from his lips, and he snatched Temari to sweep them along faster and to burn hotter. Gaara could only disperse two of them, the third one he had to dodge. When he gained his feet, his hands were already forming a _ninjutsu_ seal.

Sasuke's eyes widened. _"Shit, if that hits us, Temari, we'll lose."_

Temari made a vexed sound. _"Okay, let's show him one of my secret attacks."_

Gaara always carried a large gourd with him into the sparring arena. Sasuke knew where it was, so he didn't waste time trying to locate it with his eyes. He just started moving. Then he saw the first ball of sand.

Temari was up to the challenge. She gathered _chakra_ from both of them, and Sasuke spun the fan in tight arcs. Each one sent compressed air slashing outward, slicing through the sand from Gaara's gourd. He maintained focus on both offense and defense, Temari's _chakra_ surging all around. They were good enough to force Gaara to use Naruto to deflect several blows.

Then the sand changed shape. It formed what looked like a huge hand. _Shit,_ Sasuke thought again, letting go of the fan. It hovered parallel to the floor, and he hopped onto it. The fan immediately flew away from the sand, and Sasuke formed the seal for a fireball. It struck true, sending a shower of sand everywhere. Sasuke knew that was far from a victory, and he quickly grabbed the fan to parry Gaara's next attack.

Sure enough, Gaara had lunged upward, slashing at Sasuke. He collapsed the fan and parried yet again.

His internal clock told him this had only lasted about two minutes so far, and Sasuke was beyond thought. He _loved_ sparring with Gaara or Suigetsu. They were so skilled their battles seldom ended in decisive victory, and the absorbed all of his attention.

 _"Behind us,"_ Temari said. _"That's a damn persistent jutsu. Get us a little more height, and I'll take care of it."_

Sasuke didn't parry Gaara's next slash so much as avoid it. He threw the fan down and hopped onto it, and Temari sailed up higher.

 _"Okay,"_ she said, _"you stay right where you are."_

Her _chakra_ surged again, and this time she channeled his too. The air vibrated wildly around them, and in two seconds she'd whipped up a cyclone. That fist of sand slammed into it and burst into harmless particles. But Temari didn't stop there. She sent out smaller cyclones as the sand tried to reform, scattering the grains further and further. Sasuke dimly noticed the gathered students yelping under the rain of sand.

The second she finished, Sasuke had already formed a dozen seals for fireball. The flames burst down toward Gaara, and he swept Temari over and over, creating blade after blade of violently spinning wind. It forced Gaara into a completely defensive position, unable even to counterattack. Sasuke wouldn't be able to keep this pace up for very long, but neither would his opponent.

Then Gaara met his eyes, and the very faintest hint of a smile teased one corner of his mouth. A split second later, all the air was crushed from Sasuke's lungs. His bond with Temari shattered, and that enormous fist of sand slammed him down onto the mat so hard black spots danced in his vision.

Who could say how much time passed. Seconds? Hours? Warm hands gripped his shoulders and helped him sit up, and a familiar voice murmured in his ear,

"That was fun. You're getting better."

Sasuke looked up at Gaara, and his friend looked somewhat fuzzy. Then he turned his head and saw Naruto, concern written all over his attractive face.

"You okay?" Naruto asked, brows drawn.

 _Attractive?_ Sasuke thought, mind hazy. _Since when do I find idiots attractive?_ He accepted Gaara's hand to heave himself upright. Temari grinned at him from where she was watching.

"That was definitely the best fight I've had yet. We'll be doing that again. Soon."

"Except next time it'll be me and Sasuke kicking _your_ ass," Naruto said, grinning at Gaara.

Who didn't reply. He led Sasuke down off the mat, and he vaguely heard a lot of voices clamoring and exclaiming over the epicness of that fight. By the time Gaara had Sasuke seated, his head was feeling clearer. He almost smiled.

They would definitely be doing that again soon.

"Gaara?" a girl's voice asked. "Feel like another match?"

Sasuke lifted his head to see Sakura smiling at Gaara. His friend nodded, giving Sasuke a mild look. Naruto waved him toward the mat.

"Go on, I'll look after him."

"I don't need looking after, idiot," Sasuke snapped. Rather, wanted to snap. It came out as a somewhat mellow statement. And what exactly the fuck was up with that?

Naruto just chuckled. "Sure, sure. You were fucking awesome out there, Sasuke. I could watch you do that all day."

Sasuke _almost_ said, _"You weren't so bad yourself."_ Almost. Fortunately he had better control than that over his mouth. All he said was, "Hn."

"You all right?" Naruto said after a second. "I'm gonna go back out there if you're good."

"I'm _fine_. Don't be a pain."

Another chuckle. "All right, all right. Pick this up tonight at our usual spot? Usual time? Okay, see you then!" He waved as he jogged back toward the mat.

Sasuke sighed and didn't bother protesting. What was the point.

~o0o~

After noon/early evening classes were over, Sasuke didn't head straight to the sparring wing. He headed back to his shared room, and along the way he spotted Neji with his Controller, Tenten. When Neji saw Sasuke, he said something to Tenten. The slightly shorter girl waved to him and jogged away. Neji fell in beside the younger Coordinator.

"You feeling okay?" he asked. "Gaara took you down pretty hard today."

Sasuke's lips quirked in something torn between amusement, irritation, and satisfaction. "That was the closest fight we've ever had," he didn't really answer. "Normally he completely crushes me."

Neji gave a half-smile. "You two have never sparred paired with a Controller. I caught up on our scores, and you might be interested to know you shine brightest when paired with Temari. Her wind complements your fire _jutsus_ perfectly."

"I'm not surprised," Sasuke said, palming the door lock and pushing his dorm door open. "I actually really enjoy sparring with her. She's incredibly talented."

"Her averages are a little lower than Sakura's," Neji said, nodding, "but her potential is greater. I have a feeling Temari will challenge her for the top spot in their class. She's a very versatile Controller."

And Sasuke liked her personality. She took charge in a way that didn't feel arrogant. It was actually comforting, somehow. He also liked that she transitioned between _taijutsu_ and _ninjutsu_ quickly and efficiently. "Did you want something?"

"Do you have to see Kakashi in the morning?" Neji asked.

"No. Not for another few weeks, as long as I gain some weight." Sasuke sighed and stacked his books neatly on the room's long desk. "Which I'm working on. I ate a lot more today than I usually do. I guess sparring so regularly is good for my appetite."

That, and he hadn't used in two-and-a-half days. Normally he took a dose every single night.

Neji studied his face. "You and Gaara want to come over tonight?" he asked presently. "It's been a few days."

Sasuke hesitated. Then felt a bolt of surprise when he realized meeting Naruto to keep practicing was becoming so appealing it made him hesitate over using Poison. When the hell had that happened?

"Yeah," he said at length. Any longer and he would start to suffer from withdrawal. Poison may not have negative side effects when it metabolized, but that didn't mean the substance wasn't highly addictive.

The older teen paused again, his pale eyes searching Sasuke's face. "I know you didn't want to partner with Uzumaki," he said. "Should I be concerned?"

Blinking, Sasuke supposed Suigetsu hadn't told their other three friends what Naruto had done. Ah well. They should all know, since Naruto had seen all five them using illicit substances.

"He saw me shoot up," he said, "at lunch a few days ago. He promised not to tell anyone. All I had to do was agree to partner with him once."

Neji's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening. "Just the once?"

"Yeah," Sasuke said, lifting one shoulder in a shrug.

"So the next times were all your choice?" Neji insisted.

Not something Sasuke had really considered. It surprised him a little. "Yeah," he said again. "They were."

"Why?" Neji demanded. "Your scores together are abysmal. Why would you spend so much time with him?"

An altogether more puzzling quandary. Sasuke found himself shrugging again. "I don't know. It feels . . . different, with him. I'm so drained and worn out I just . . . pass out and sleep until morning. It's . . . different."

Expression bordering on a glare, Neji continued to study him as if weighing his words. "Is he taking advantage?"

Sasuke snorted. "I doubt it ever even crossed his mind to take advantage. He may be an idiot, but he's an honest one. I'm gonna go get some food. You wanna come, or are you gonna keep interrogating me?"

All at once, Neji relented. "I'll join you. I could use a snack before Tenten and I wrap up for the evening."

Sasuke said nothing else, grateful Neji let it go, grateful for his concern. He may not exactly like being fussed over, but he appreciated it just the same. They made their way to the cafeteria together, and Sasuke ate more than usual. _I guess my appetite returned a little._ At some point, Suigetsu joined them.

"Yanno," he said as he sat down, "I don't know why you're so opposed to partnering with Naruto. I love his second form. Don't get guns a lot, and I've never seen such a fucking huge one."

There was a vulgar comment lurking around unspoken, but Sasuke let it remain that way. "Obviously I'm not opposed to it, since I've been practicing with him for the last two nights, and tonight I'm doing it again."

"Wow, really?" Suigetsu said between bites. "You must really like him, huh?"

The automatic denial that sprang to Sasuke's lips died without a voice. It was untrue to say he liked Naruto, because the guy irritated him and drove him a little crazy, and all too often Sasuke wanted to punch him. However, it was equally untrue to say he didn't like Naruto. Sasuke had a hard time disliking people who showed they cared about him but didn't treat him like some glass flower who might shatter or fall apart at any second.

The only word he could use to describe how he felt about Naruto was complicated.

So he shrugged. "I guess I like how he challenges me."

Suigetsu grinned, but it was a softer expression than his usual smirk. "That's a good reason to keep it up," he agreed. "You mind if I borrow him tomorrow night, though? I'd like to spend some one-on-one with him. I tell ya, I'm crazy about his second form."

Sasuke snorted. "He's not bonded to me, you don't have to ask my permission. But I wouldn't mind if you did. There are a couple Controllers with whom I still haven't been able to practice alone, so it would be great if you could distract him."

With a soft laugh, Suigetsu leaned back in his chair. "Distract him, huh? Yeah, he is pretty fixated on you. Probably wants to fuck you."

"Why does everything have to be about sex with you?" Sasuke muttered.

"Sadly, it's never about sex with me," Suigetsu whined. "If it were, there would be a lot more sex with me. Yeah, I wouldn't mind nailing your lily white ass."

"How can you be sure you haven't?" Neji said in a ridiculously contemplative voice. "You two get pretty sloppy when you're high."

"Very funny," Sasuke grunted. Sometimes he did wake up with the impression that he'd gotten . . . sloppy . . . with Gaara and Suigetsu, they were very close. Sometimes the three of them woke up sticky. Sometimes he'd wake up with the sweet taste of Reef in his mouth knowing he hadn't smoked it.

But he'd know if they'd gone any further than grinding or petting. Some kinds of muscle pain were pretty much impossible to miss.

Suigetsu heaved a deep sigh. "All right fine, pretty Raven. You keep turning down my advances. We'll see you tonight, yeah? I don't like this staying out all night business."

Nodding, Sasuke stood up to put his dishes in the proper receptacle. "I'll see you later."

In the sparring wing, Naruto was already waiting for him. As soon as he saw Sasuke, he straightened from where he was lounging against the wall, grinning. "Turnabout's fair play," he said. "Last night I made you wait. You ready to get started?"

"Yeah," Sasuke said, pushing past him into the room they habitually used.

Inside, door locked, Sasuke started removing his boots and socks and arm covers. This time, Naruto did the same, and Sasuke was a bit distracted by how strong his arms looked. Firm muscle rippled beneath taut golden skin, making him look a little older than he was. Nineteen, maybe. Not for the first time, Sasuke thought how attractive he was. It was hardly unusual for him to think that about the same sex, but it was unusual for him to think that about a male other than Gaara, Suigetsu, or Neji.

Finding someone attractive outside his close circle was too . . . vulnerable.

"Wanna practice basic exercises for a while?" Naruto asked. "I think now that I know _how_ to do it, I want to keep practicing at it. Until I'm really fucking good at it."

"Sure," Sasuke said, sitting down on the mat and folding his legs.

Naruto chuckled. "You're being real agreeable tonight. We've been in the same room for at least three minutes and you haven't thrown out the 'i' word once."

"Hn," Sasuke said with a tiny smirk. "Idiot."

"Oh, there it is. I was starting to think I had your not-evil twin."

"Let's just focus," Sasuke said, slightly uncomfortable with this easy atmosphere. "Start with a _chakra_ sphere. Maintain it as long as you can. Once you lose concentration, we'll start over."

"Okay, but I want to get in some time with my second form," Naruto said. "It was awesome as sin fighting you with Gaara today, and even if it's just a tiny bit, every time I fight with my second form it gets a little easier to control. And like Kakashi-sensei said. It's really fucking powerful!"

Sasuke blinked, feeling a sudden twinge of unease. "You've been talking to Kakashi-sensei?"

"Well, yeah," Naruto said. "He's really fucking good. Oh, don't worry. I won't break my promise. I like partnering with you way too much to betray your trust like that."

The words, sentimental and foolish, left Sasuke unexpectedly disarmed. He actually felt a tiny hint of heat rise in his cheeks, and he did what he usually did when confronted with something he didn't want to face. He deflected with hostility.

"You're such an idiot."

"And as usual, you're an ass," Naruto retorted with obvious good humor. "Ready to get started?"

~o0o~

By nine, Sasuke unraveled their bond for the last time. They'd spent most of the last three hours doing exercises that were less and less basic. While Naruto's control (and Sasuke's for that matter) had only improved a little, they were able to maintain their bond for almost fifteen minutes at a time. It was unusual to improve so much so quickly so early in their first year.

Most of the reluctance and animosity Sasuke felt toward Naruto was gone.

"We usually go until midnight," Naruto protested. "C'mon, we've still got plenty of juice yet."

Sasuke put his socks and boots back on. "Not tonight."

As soon as he stood up, Naruto loomed into his personal space. "Why not? What's wrong with tonight? What's so different from last night?"

Annoyed, Sasuke glared up at him. It was maybe two centimeters of height, but somehow it felt like twenty. "I can't keep that pace up forever."

"You're gonna shoot up, aren't you?" Naruto demanded. "Sasuke -"

"Shut up." Soft, cold.

"Please don't," Naruto pleaded, reaching out and gripping Sasuke's arms so tightly it hurt. "What we've been doing works, right? It's been working? So stay here with me again. I'll -"

"Just shut up," Sasuke snapped. "Yeah, okay fine. It's been working. But you know how drug use works, don't you? I'm fine now. But it's not going to be so much longer until I start suffering from withdrawal. What then? You gonna sit by me and hold my head over the toilet while I puke up my guts? While I have a fever so high my blood starts to boil? I'm _addicted_ , Naruto. You can't take a drug like Poison and not get addicted."

Naruto glared at him in what looked like helpless fury. "Why did you start using anyway, you fucking idiot?"

A muscle in Sasuke's cheek twitched. "We've been over this." He hit Naruto's hands away. "I'm not talking about it anymore. Now get out of my way."

"Fine," Naruto said. "I won't stop you. But don't do it there. Do it in your room, I'll stay with you. Make your roommate stay with that Neji guy."

" _What_? What the fuck will that accomplish?" Sasuke snapped.

"I don't know!" Naruto growled. "I just don't want you to go through this alone!"

"I'm _not_ alone," Sasuke said, storming past him. "My three best friends are always with me, it's always safe. So get the fuck off my back."

This time, Naruto didn't stop him. But he could feel the heat of the other teen's anger surging at his back. He ignored it and jogged back to the dorm wing. Throwing a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure Naruto hadn't followed him, he went straight to Neji's room.

Jugo, Suigetsu, and Gaara were already there, the older redhead halfway through a Reef joint. Neji let him in, and Sasuke threw himself down onto the couch between Jugo and Gaara. A convoluted tangle of emotions roiled through him, and Naruto's angry voice wouldn't shut up in his head.

More than just angry. Anger, he could deal with. There was hurt mixed in there, somewhere. That, Sasuke hated. Reaching up, he snatched the joint from Jugo's fingers and took a deep pull. The sweet smoke filled his lungs and made him feel lightheaded.

"God damn it," he hissed, waving a hand when Neji offered him the needle. He clenched his teeth and finished the joint in two more pulls. "Just make me another one of those."

 _Fucking idiot Naruto._ Only this once, he promised himself. Only this once would he let Naruto have any say. Just this night, then he was done letting the blonde have a say.


	6. Bound

**A/N:** There's actual plot development in this chapter. O_O

* * *

 **Tools of the Trade**

Though Kakashi hadn't asked him to come, Naruto sprinted to his sensei's office the next morning. He burst in without even knocking.

"Morning, sensei!" he exclaimed. "Did you get that training tool you mentioned?"

Kakashi didn't look up from whatever paperwork he was doing. Or maybe pretending to be doing. If it was Naruto, he would only be pretending.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun. Impatient as ever, I see."

"It's been _two_ days," Naruto pointed out. He thought he'd been really patient.

Kakashi snorted softly, putting his pen down. "As a matter of fact, I did get one. I sent a message to Sasuke's room to meet me in a private training room today after lunch. You two will both benefit from this tool, and it can only be used by a Coordinator and Controller in tandem. You and Sasuke may not have the best scores together, but he works harder with you than any other Controller."

The words made Naruto straighten, and he couldn't help a soft smile. "You really care about him, don't you?"

Kakashi's only visible eye regarded him. "Of course. He's my kid. You obviously care about him too, and that's what matters to me. Sasuke wouldn't partner so much with someone he didn't hold in high esteem, so clearly he sees something in you." He paused, drumming his fingers on his desk. "This training tool should be able to help you control your third form. Your second form is much more powerful than your first. I'm correct in assuming your third form is exponentially more so?"

Naruto nodded, feeling like he was floating from Kakashi's words. _He holds me in high esteem_. "I don't really like using it yet."

Kakashi nodded, too. "Iruka told me you struggled with it. At any rate, the better your overall control, the more prepared you will be to use your third form with more regularity. So after lunch today, come down and meet us. We'll see how you two like the tool. I suspect you will both find it very helpful."

"Thanks, _sensei_!" Naruto exclaimed, beaming him a bright smile. "I'll see you after lunch!" So saying, he sprinted back the way he'd come.

He'd nearly reached the cafeteria when he saw Sasuke, walking alone. Naruto easily caught up with him. For some reason, Sasuke gave him a highly venomous glare.

"Go away," he growled. "I don't want to deal with you right now."

Naruto ignored the order. "One of these days you're gonna smile at me and greet me with a big hug, and the shock is going to kill me," he said shaking his head.

To his delight, Sasuke's lips twitched in that way Naruto was coming to learn meant the other teen wanted to smile. "Never gonna happen, _usuratonkachi_."

A retort sprang to Naruto's lips at once, but something gave him pause. The slightly smaller boy looked kind of pale. Well, paler than usual. His eyes were a little shadowed. He already knew Sasuke didn't like overtures of concern, but Naruto couldn't help asking,

"You feeling okay?"

Whatever hint of mirth might have been in Sasuke's countenance vanished. "No, I'm not," he snapped, still not looking at Naruto as he walked. "I didn't use last night, thanks to you, so I feel like shit. It's been three days."

"What?" Naruto demanded, jogging forward enough to plant himself in Sasuke's way. "Whaddaya mean thanks to me? I didn't stop you, did I? You went to that ass Neji."

"And I couldn't stop thinking about your whining voice," Sasuke spat, shoving past Naruto. "It really killed the mood."

Despite the words, despite the obvious repercussions, Naruto couldn't help grinning. _He couldn't use because he was thinking about how much I hate it?_ He quickly caught up with Sasuke, draping an arm around his thin shoulders.

"You have no idea how much that means to me."

Ebony eyes flicked up to meet sky blue, and the murderous rage in them almost made Naruto recoil. A split second later it snuffed out, replaced with something tired. "You're such an idiot. Go away. I'll see you after lunch. I'm starving, and I don't want to look at your stupid face while I eat."

Naruto was too pleased to hear Sasuke was hungry to take his bitchy command personally. He just grinned, squeezed those skinny shoulders once, and then released him to jog off to the cafeteria. A strange - but good - morning.

~o0o~

At noon, Naruto met up with Kiba in the cafeteria. Shikamaru and Choji were there, and Naruto grinned to see Temari sitting by Shika.

"Hi!" he greeted her. "Glad to see you again. I wanted to tell you yesterday, but I didn't get the chance. You're an _awesome_ Controller."

She smiled. "Thanks. You weren't so bad yourself. Not as good as me, but still pretty good."

He chuckled and didn't disagree. He knew he wasn't number one. Yet. The four boys and one girl chatted through their meal, Naruto asking Temari questions about where she was from and did she have her eyes on any particular Coordinator yet and how she liked The Academy so far. She asked him the same questions.

"You've got your eye on Uchiha, don't you?" she asked, propping her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hands.

"Sure do," Naruto confirmed.

"He's got a lot of raw power," she said, nodding. "A little inconsistent, though. I'd rather have a Coordinator like Gaara. Steady as a rock, that one."

Naruto found himself wondering if Sasuke's inconsistency had anything to do with his past. _Could emotional trauma and/or drug use affect someone's performance in the sparring ring?_ He wasn't sure how he could safely ask that question, and of whom.

When they were done eating, he waved goodbye to his friends and jogged to the sparring wing. He found Kakashi right away, waiting outside one of the rooms. He squint-eye-smiled at Naruto.

"Yo, Naruto-kun. Come on in, Sasuke's already inside stretching."

Grinning, feeling giddy with excitement, Naruto trotted in after him. To his surprise (and amusement), Sasuke wasn't so much "stretching" as simply sprawled all over the mat, flat on his back. He gave Naruto a somewhat apathetic look and didn't bother getting up.

Naruto snorted. "Someone's obviously looking forward to this."

"I ate too much," Sasuke explained. "And this tool you're so excited over is quite a fashion statement." He held up his left hand.

On the wrist was a band of metal that looked thin and flexible, a shimmery gray in color. It was probably six centimeters wide.

"What's this?" Naruto asked, looking up at Kakashi.

Who held up another one exactly like it. "It's a very useful tool to monitor your _chakra_ levels. It's filled with all kinds of sensors and fun stuff. Give me your left hand."

Naruto obediently held up his left hand, and Kakashi snapped the other band around it. "Now what?" he asked.

"Now, you two might just be able to help each other in your weakest area," Kakashi explained. "Before I activate them, you should know that every time you waste _chakra_ , this thing will deliver you a jolt of pain. That something you can live with?"

 _Pain?_ Naruto thought, frowning. Well, that was certainly incentive to learn quickly. He steeled his resolve. "Yeah."

"Good," Kakashi said. "Last thing. I'm the only one with the key to unlock them, you two won't be able to get them off until I'm satisfied with the results."

"What?" Sasuke finally got interested in the proceedings.

"Your averages," Kakashi said. "I want to see marked improvement in you both. Oh, and as long as you have those on, you two won't be able to pair with anyone else."

" _What_?" Sasuke snapped.

"Go ahead and try one of your basic exercises, Naruto-kun," Kakashi instructed.

Feeling less confident about this thing, Naruto obediently began to form a ball of _chakra_. The response was instantaneous and _way_ more than a fucking 'jolt' of pain. It was so painful and sudden his legs went numb, and he sort of collapsed down to his knees. But the thing he found way more concerning was Sasuke's reaction.

The raven-haired teen rolled onto his side with a yelp, clutching his head, eyes squeezing shut.

"What the fuck!" Naruto gasped. "You said it would cause _me_ pain!" He gave Kakashi an accusatory glare.

"I simply omitted the part about Sasuke," Kakashi admitted blithely, "because he wouldn't have agreed. He's my kid, so I can trick him."

Naruto could see the anger rising in Sasuke's eyes, but this time Naruto's own beat him. He leaped to his feet, seriously wanting to punch Kakashi. "You can't do shit like that to him! I don't care if _I'm_ punished for my shitty control, but I don't want _him_ to be hurt, too! This is bullshit, _sensei_. Take them off!"

"Nope," Kakashi said, tone airy as he trotted to the door. "You'll learn quicker this way, and you'll both thank me." With that, he was gone.

Naruto stared at the closed door, seething, fists clenched. "That bastard," he gritted.

Sasuke suddenly sighed and flopped back down onto the mat. "Whatever. I'm too tired to argue. Let's just practice with this thing and see if we can get the hang of it."

His acceptance made Naruto blink, and he studied Sasuke closely for a few seconds. _He really doesn't feel well._ Folding himself down beside Sasuke, he couldn't resist the urge to reach over and put a hand on Sasuke's forehead.

The smaller teen made a rude sound but didn't smack his hand away like he'd half expected. "I'm not sick, _dobe_."

"You look kinda sick," Naruto murmured.

"It's withdrawal," Sasuke said, voice quiet. "I'll be fine in the morning."

 _Because you're gonna use tonight._ "I hate this," Naruto whispered.

Finally, Sasuke pushed his hand off and sat up, eyes narrowed. "Why?"

Shrugging, Naruto peered into ebony eyes. "You're not well. You had the shittiest thing in the world happen to you, and the wrong person offered you the wrong solution. I hate it."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You make it sound so sordid. Neji didn't take advantage of me, or anything. I asked _him_ to find something for me. It was _my_ idea."

"So what?" Naruto growled. "He's the ass who provided drugs to a _minor_."

"Technically, he was too," Sasuke retorted. "Can't you just let this go?"

"No," Naruto said, shaking his head. "I want to understand. Wasn't there a better way to - ?"

"To what?" Sasuke immediately cut him off. "To deal with it? To deal with watching my entire family be killed by someone I loved more than life? Why don't you tell me, Uzumaki? If you're so virtuous, what would _you_ have done? Because from where I was at the time, it was either that or death."

Naruto felt the air freeze in his lungs. Every muscle in his body tightened, screaming at him to lean forward and envelop Sasuke in a hug and never let him go. He really didn't have the right to sit here and talk about shit like he had any idea what that scenario would be like.

"I don't know," he finally admitted, low and soft.

"Well, neither do I," Sasuke said, the anger gone, replaced by that tiredness again. "And I really hate talking about it, so just pretend you don't know or whatever you need to do to drop this subject and not bring it up again. Since I can't spar with anyone else until Kakashi says, let's practice until you're actually good. If that's even possible."

The hostility was back. Naruto supposed he had only himself to blame. But he just couldn't let this go. Maybe because the pain and loneliness he saw in Sasuke reminded him, even if only a little, of himself.

 **~*o0o o0o*~**

Three days later, Sasuke's dark mood over Kakashi's sentence began to lighten. In a weird way, being bound to Naruto was nearly as cathartic as drugs. Every single afternoon and evening was filled with a monumental struggle between control and pain, pain and control. It would strike him at odd times, how little he thought of Itachi. Naruto stopped talking about Sasuke's drug use, and he was grateful.

But he still used a lot less than before. It began to show. Sasuke's appetite improved, and he gained two pounds. Not much, but it meant maybe by his next physical there would be enough change for Kakashi to relax. Last thing he wanted was for his guardian to watch him closely again.

And despite his early-on fury, he and Naruto improved all the faster for the torture-device Kakashi had called a "training tool". It was enough that Sasuke felt his sense of humor return, and he could view the situation with less rage. Naruto noticed his improved mood and responded in ways that Sasuke found rather confusing.

The blonde touched him a lot. A hand on his back, an arm around his shoulders, brushing hair off his neck, brushing fingers over the back of his wrist, and embracing him a few moments longer than strictly necessary when they linked up. The confusing part was how little Sasuke minded. How seldom he brushed away those warm hands, how he sort of leaned into the arms that embraced him when they linked.

"Yanno," Naruto said with a chuckle, "you're pretty damn mellow around me today. Who knew you were such a masochist."

Sasuke gave him a flat look.

Naruto laughed. "I thought you'd bitch and moan and complain every minute."

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke let go of Naruto's hands and leaned back. "Why would I waste my energy complaining? I know Kakashi much better than you. Once he's made up his mind about something, there's no arguing."

"Tell me about it," Naruto said, abruptly flopping over on his back. "I thought he wanted to kill me, that's why he did this shit to me."

The urge to reach over and punch Naruto in the arm overwhelmed Sasuke. "I think _I'm_ the only one who has the right to complain, _dobe_. You volunteered for this. I did not. And when I channel, we can barely feel it. It's only when _you_ channel that we suffer."

The blonde gave him that wide fox grin of his. "Heh, yeah . . . that's true!"

Growling, Sasuke leaned forward to finally punch this idiot right in the mouth. Laughing, Naruto held up his hands to protect his face. However, the door opened then and put an end to Sasuke's violent intent.

"Glad to see you're hard at work," Kakashi's voice drawled.

Giving Naruto one last glare, Sasuke stood up and faced his guardian. The glare's heat ratcheted up a few degrees. "Are you finally going to take these stupid things off us?" he demanded.

Kakashi clicked his tongue. "Now, now, Sasuke. Don't be impatient." He turned to the small control panel mounted on the wall and activated it, turning the settings to display and record energy readings. "You two are going to spar against me today. If I like the results I see, I'll take the bands off."

Sasuke's heart sank. No way could he and Naruto provide any kind of challenge to Kakashi. The man had decades more experience, and the word _skilled_ didn't begin to do him justice. Even without his Coordinator, Kakashi was dangerous.

"Heck yeah!" Naruto enthused, bounding to his feet. "We're gonna kick your ass! C'mon, Sasuke!"

Sasuke regarded him in silence for a few moments. "The only person whose ass will be kicked is _yours_ , idiot," he grunted.

Naruto just laughed, holding out his hands. "Let's show him what we've learned."

Sighing, really not wanting to do this but supposing he was outnumbered, Sasuke took his hands and let himself be turned around. That broad chest plastered itself to his back and guided him down, holding him inescapably close. The last two days, these moments always made Sasuke's heart do an odd little flip and his belly clench in uncertainty.

The long black katana materialized in his hands. _"C'mon, Sasuke!"_ Naruto said again. _"We got this."_

Despite Naruto's confidence, Sasuke didn't take the offense. For once, he held himself in a defensive stance. A low and tolerable tingle of pain zinged along his nerves, and by now he barely noticed it. He kept his eyes locked on Kakashi, whose posture was relaxed and almost idle. Sasuke tried not to tense up, knowing that would only slow his reaction to whatever attack Kakashi unleashed first.

Naruto snorted. _"It's not like he's an actual enemy."_

 _"Don't underestimate him,"_ Sasuke said shortly, wishing just this once his guardian would remove the mask. If he could see his whole face, maybe it would give him some sort of visual cue as to his next move.

It happened so fast Sasuke didn't actually see it until after Kakashi had moved. His guardian was just suddenly _right fucking there_ behind him, fist raised, his silvery-blue _chakra_ swirling around it. Sasuke sprang forward, using his own _chakra_ to speed his leap, slashing backward with the blade. It connected with thin air, and Sasuke felt a bolt of panic when he saw Kakashi was now right above him.

Naruto responded with astonishing speed, gathering _chakra_. The pain was worse this time, though still bearable. They were good at channeling the correct amounts slowly, but obviously actual combat still needed work. Sasuke swept the katana in two wide arcs, slicing blades of air toward Kakashi. He formed the hand seal for fireball and filled his lungs with _chakra_ , but even as the blades exploded into flame he could see it wouldn't be fast enough.

Indeed, Kakashi had already moved. Now he was standing on the ceiling like some weird bat, forming another hand seal with blinding speed. Sasuke recognized fireball and tapped down onto the mat only to spring away when the huge, swirling ball of flame came right for him. He could feel its heat nipping at his back.

 _"Fuck, he's good at ninjutsu,"_ Naruto grunted. _"Can you get closer to him?"_

Sasuke's whole body cried out in protest at the notion. He so fucking did not want to get closer to Kakashi. _"Remember that trick we were working on?"_ he asked, avoiding another fireball. _"The one where you wrapped thin flows of chakra around your blade? Do that. As thin and flexible as you can. I'll add my fire, and we can use it like a whip."_

 _"Damn, that'll be awesome as shit if we can pull it off!"_ Naruto exclaimed, already obeying.

He had to work quickly, and Sasuke grimaced through the pain burning along his _chakra_ channels. It wasn't debilitating, so he ignored it and quickly formed another seal for fireball. Naruto managed a passable fabrication of what he'd asked, and fire blazed along the ropes of _chakra_.

 _"That's fucking awesome!"_ Naruto crowed.

Sasuke had to agree. It looked like he now had a long, flaming whip in his hands, and he slashed it toward Kakashi while lunging upward. The _chakra_ whip extended and moved exactly where he wanted it, and Sasuke reminded himself to be proud of this accomplishment later - they'd just invented a new _jutsu_. Right now, however, was not the time. Right now all his focus had to stay on Kakashi.

Less than a fraction of a second before the rapidly moving _chakra_ whip struck him, Kakashi vanished. Sasuke twisted in midair, already snapping the whip behind him as he slashed the sword down. Kakashi wasn't there, and Sasuke landed lightly on the mat, spinning in a full circle to try visually locating his opponent. A quick glance upward didn't reveal him on the ceiling.

Beginning to feel irritated, Sasuke rapidly formed another fire seal. This time he gathered _chakra_ at his feet and broke into a full-on sprint around the room. A bit of pain burned along his nerves, but still not as bad as Naruto's channeling. Streaks of fire burst out behind him, and Sasuke finally activated the unique ability only the Uchiha family possessed.

Sharingan.

His eyes turned red and his pupils divided. He hated using this ability, and he especially hated using it with the thing on his wrist. His control was less than perfect, and the pain flaring in him reminded him of that quite viciously. But a split second later he saw Kakashi, using a light-scattering _jutsu_ to conceal himself. Sasuke lunged forward, using _chakra_ to give himself more speed, slashing forward in a wide arc, the whip lashing ahead of the blade.

It accomplished the task of forcing Kakashi to release the _genjutsu,_ at least. He danced nimbly out of the way of the whip, leaping with impossible speed right over Sasuke's head. Sasuke simply couldn't react fast enough to avoid the glowing fist. He only managed to twist partially out of the way, and he swallowed a cry when the force of it slammed him down onto the mat.

Going down was a luxury he could not afford, and it was the least of his problems. The strain of maintaining a complicated _jutsu_ finally was too much. Sasuke felt Naruto's flow widen, and the pain forced him to release it altogether.

 _"Fuck this, we're not getting anywhere,"_ Naruto muttered.

Sasuke didn't even finish blinking before the katana changed into the enormous gun. The spines flew off in all directions, but Sasuke felt his whole body tremble at the fresh wave of pain the transformation caused. It soared higher and higher when Naruto powered the three huge barrels.

He had no idea if Naruto actually discharged the attack. Everything went white in a blinding wash of agony, and Sasuke vaguely felt himself collapse as if his spine had been severed. Their bond shattered, and a booted foot pressed down on the back of his neck.

"Bam. Your Coordinator is dead."

A moment later, large and strong hands eased him into a sitting position. "Easy," Kakashi said, rubbing his back. "Just breathe."

"You okay, Sasuke?" he dimly heard Naruto fuss.

Kakashi chuckled softly. "Guess you two weren't quite ready for that, hm? He's fine, Naruto. Just needs a minute."

After several seconds of short, panicky gasps, Sasuke's lungs abruptly expanded, allowing him to breathe normally. He forced himself not to lean on Kakashi for support, and he threw Naruto a weak glare.

"We haven't practiced that enough to be working with your second form," he said.

Kakashi nodded. "Powering up your strongest attack is a good strategy, but Sasuke's right. Something like that should be the resort of the highly skilled and well practiced. Still, you two performed a couple good moves with each other, and you _have_ improved." He stood up and walked to the control panel to study the recorded information on the monitor.

Sasuke didn't protest Naruto's help in standing, but he refused to lean on him. He watched Kakashi. "So?" he demanded. "Can we take these damn things off?"

"Hmm," Kakashi hummed. "Well, your averages have both gone up a little. But nope. I think we'll leave them on for one more week. Sasuke, come by my office before you head back to your room for the night. There's something we need to discuss."

Any angry protests Sasuke might have spit at his guardian curdled on his tongue. A sour kind of dread welled up in his stomach as he watched Kakashi leave. _His voice was strange. What could he want -?_

"You don't think he knows?" Naruto asked softly.

Sasuke stared at the door, swallowing thickly before turning away. "Let's keep practicing," he said, ignoring both the question and his own anxiety. The former was easy. The latter, not so much.

"Okay," Naruto agreed. Then he grinned. "Let's work on that wicked _chakra_ whip. I can't believe we created our first _ninjutsu_ together! We're basically awesome."

Lips twitching in amusement, an emotion he seldom felt, Sasuke just nodded and held out his hands. "Slowly. I still feel a little shaky from your last dumbass attack."

Naruto took his hands and spun him around, squeezing him in a definite embrace. "Sorry about that. I just got mad and stopped thinking. I won't do that again. And I might have done something stupid, but you were fucking _amazing_. You kept your cool, and thanks to you we held our own against him."

"Until you fucked up," Sasuke said, feeling yet another urge to grin. And why did he feel no resistance to being held like this? He squeezed the hands still holding his in warning. "Are you ready to link, or what?"

"Mm, I don't know," Naruto said. "You're kinda cute like this."

Blinking, caught completely off guard, Sasuke twisted to glare up at Naruto. "Cute? Clearly I'm not the only one on drugs."

Naruto grinned. "I'm serious. You're the perfect size. Like a little human body pillow."

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke pushed back with his shoulders a bit. "First, I'm maybe one centimeter shorter than you. Second, I'm probably older than you. Third, I'm not cute."

"Older than me? No way. My birthday is February seventh. Yours?"

Sasuke grit his teeth. Damn it. "May thirteenth."

"Ha! I'm three months older than you."

"What an accomplishment. Would you open up already so we can link?"

With a last chuckle and squeeze, Naruto finally obeyed. Sasuke immediately linked them, and the black katana gleamed in his hands. After several days of this, he was growing accustomed to the spiky feel of Naruto's _chakra_ , but he still didn't really like the way it hungrily scoured at his insides. Almost like it had a will of its own and wanted him. Independently of Naruto. It was the weirdest _chakra_ he'd ever felt.

 _"All right,"_ Naruto said, building up a flow nice and slowly. _"Wicked awesome new jutsu, here we come."_

~o0o~

By eight pm, Sasuke called it quits. He didn't want to, but he knew he should. The anxiety, which had actually lessened quite a bit, came back. He put his boots back on, and Naruto did the same. They'd gotten better with the new _jutsu_ , and he was looking forward to working on it more.

"You gonna go straight over and see Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah," Sasuke said, standing. "But I might change first. I'm really hot."

"Yeah, me too," Naruto said, fanning himself with a hand. "We should get massive points for how hard we've been working."

Sasuke snorted. "Our so-called battle with Kakashi will have dropped our averages massively, thanks to your last attack. On paper, at least, we're probably getting _worse_."

"Ah, who cares about that," Naruto dismissed it. "Yanno, if you think about it, Kakashi's making me do exactly what he told me not to." He snorted.

"Which is?" Sasuke asked, only sort of curious.

"Partner with only you," Naruto chuckled. "Not that I mind, I love partnering with you."

Sasuke studied the blonde for several moments in silence, wondering exactly what it was that Naruto loved. Weren't all Controllers warned they should look for a prospective Coordinator whose personality didn't clash?

"I mind," he said. "There are a few Controllers from whom I could learn a lot, but now I can't practice with them."

Naruto leaned his weight back, folding his hands behind his head. "Don't worry about that, Kakashi- _sensei_ won't make us keep these on too much longer."

Glad the blonde hadn't taken his comment personally, since he hadn't meant it that way, Sasuke threw him a half-hearted wave. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"G'night!" Naruto said, abruptly grabbing him and yanking him close to his chest. "Sleep well!"

It took Sasuke several seconds to realize he was being hugged. Hugged without the excuse of needing to touch to link up. His brain geared up into overdrive, frantically wondering what he should do. Naruto released him before he could decide, giving him a cheery smile before trotting out of the room.

Warmth burned all over the surface of Sasuke's skin, and he didn't think it was entirely due to the sparring. _Why am I so comfortable around him?_ A sense of wonderment floated around in Sasuke's mind the whole way back to his dorm, trying to puzzle out exactly what it was about Naruto that made him so . . . He didn't even know what word to use. So at ease?

Naruto knew about his past, but he didn't treat Sasuke like some fragile basket-case or walk on eggshells around him. He knew about Sasuke's drug habit but didn't judge him. He asked a lot of annoying questions, sure, but he didn't judge. He even tried to understand, which was a first from anyone except Neji, Gaara, Suigetsu, and Jugo.

It was strange, disconcerting, confusing, and somewhat vexing.

In a weirdly good mood, Sasuke went to his and Gaara's dorm, peeling off the arm covers of his uniform. His best friend wasn't here yet, but no surprise. A dedicated student like him would most likely still be down in the sparring arena. As he passed by the communications terminal, the blinking blue light drew his eye. It indicated he had unheard messages, and he frowned. A blue light meant it had come from outside The Academy.

Pretty much everyone he knew was already here. Well, he amended, reaching for the terminal, there was still one person. Kakashi's partner, Iruka, wasn't. He felt a sudden pulse of hope, wondering if the man was coming to visit. He genuinely liked his guardian's gentle, kind lover. He palmed the control, and the blank screen flickered to life.

 _"Hello, little brother."_


	7. Side Effects

**A/N:** Evil cliffhanger XD

* * *

 **Torment of the Past**

As he passed by the communications terminal, the blinking blue light drew his eye. It indicated he had unheard messages, and he frowned. A blue light meant it had come from outside The Academy.

Pretty much everyone he knew was already here. Well, he amended, reaching for the terminal, there was still one person. Kakashi's partner, Iruka, wasn't. He felt a sudden pulse of hope, wondering if the man was coming to visit. He genuinely liked his guardian's gentle, kind lover. He palmed the control, and the blank screen flickered to life.

 _"Hello, little brother."_

Every muscle in Sasuke's body went rigid, all the blood draining away from his face, breath seizing in his lungs. Red, red eyes stared back at him with empty hunger, the pupils divided by Sharingan, pale skin drawn taut over bones, black hair long and lank.

 _"I've been watching you ever since you enrolled in The Academy,"_ Itachi Uchiha's voice said, slow and languid and soft. _"You will be every bit the incredible Coordinator I knew you'd be. Still not perfect, but growing closer every day. You're a masterpiece in the process of being painted, little brother. I simply cannot wait to see the finished colors on the canvas. It's been too long since we saw each other, but don't worry. I'll be coming for you soon. Then nothing will ever come between us again. Not our family. Not Kakashi. Wait for me, little brother. It won't be long now."_

The screen froze. Sasuke barely saw. Each breath began to come in short, ragged gasps, tortured and labored, making his chest ache and his lungs burn. Coherent thoughts wouldn't quite form in his frozen mind, nothing could quite get through the red haze. Red. The color of his brother's eyes. The color of blood.

 _"Nothing will ever come between us again."_

Black and red. Red and black. Shadow and blood. Blood and shadow.

 _"Wait for me."_

His heart began to race, so hard he choked on it.

 _"It won't be long now."_

Numb horror boiled into mindless rage in the blink of an eye. _I hate him._

 _"Wait for me."_

Pain burned along his nerves, but he couldn't understand it. _I HATE HIM._

 _"It won't be long now."_

With a snarl of poisonous hatred, fueled by murderous rage, Sasuke snapped his fist back and slammed it as hard as he could against that cruelly smirking face. Hideous pain lanced up his arm, more sensation he couldn't understand. The smirk remained affixed. It only made the fury burn hotter. This time, Sasuke slammed both fists down with every iota of strength in his body. That desperately hated face seemed to crumple, but suddenly red splashed everywhere.

Red. Red. Red. The color of blood. The color of _his_ eyes.

"I hate you!" Sasuke snarled, driving his fists down again and again. "I hate you! _I hate you! DIE!"_

Something shattered. He heard it. The red washed everything away.

~o0o~

At eight-fifteen, Kakashi looked up from his computer with a frown. He would've expected Sasuke to be here by now. The kid was more responsible than someone twice his age, and even if he feared what Kakashi might want to talk to him about, he was always on time. Fifteen minutes wasn't too late for some, but for Sasuke it might as well have been ninety.

Drumming his fingers, he opened The Academy's student tracking program. It was designed mostly to make sure students spent their time wisely, and the only thing it could really tell an instructor was what door panel a student had last activated. However, Sasuke was wearing the _chakra_ restrictor, and those things had inbuilt sensors for constant monitoring. Kakashi pulled it up on his screen.

And frowned. _He's in his dorm room._ Well, there was no reason the conversation couldn't happen there. Kakashi stood, stretching muscles not really used to sitting or standing still for long periods. He and his Coordinator were probably the most active pair in the Imperial Army. Powering down the various devices in his office, he padded out and locked the door.

Outside, the sky had clouded with the threat of rain. There was quite a chill in the air, and Kakashi broke into an easy jog just to get his blood pumping warmly. When he reached the student dorms, he slowed his pace and made his way up to the third floor where Sasuke shared a room with Gaara.

Initially, Kakashi had resisted giving Sasuke a room with his long-time best friend. After all, he was one of the three with whom Sasuke had delved into the world of drug use and addiction. A world, Kakashi thought with a grimace, he wasn't assured Sasuke had fully left behind.

However, when Sasuke had insisted, the hint of betrayal in those ebony eyes if Kakashi refused made the man melt. Sasuke had been through so much he just didn't have the heart to say no.

Kakashi smiled behind his mask. He'd known Sasuke since the day of his birth. He was the kid's godfather, and he'd been a large part of Sasuke's childhood. He still dreamed about that smiling little boy, sometimes. Sasuke had been such a happy child, eager to please and quick to laughter. Kakashi, good friends with Mikoto, had often watched the kid when his parents or older brother were needed elsewhere.

Those were times Kakashi had always greatly enjoyed, for nowhere was there a better-behaved child than Sasuke Uchiha. He never cried, never threw tantrums, never disobeyed, never fussed. He paid attention to what he was told, obeyed his elders, and never lied.

Then came that night. The night that changed everything. The night the child broke, leaving behind the angry, driven, hateful teen Sasuke had become.

Heaving a sigh, Kakashi tapped the panel. It chimed softly, announcing a visitor and asking admittance. He waited patiently for several long moments for a response. Something. Anything.

Five seconds ticked to twenty. Frowning, Kakashi pressed the panel again. Another chime. Another twenty seconds of nothing. He waited ten more before fishing his communications bud out of his pocket. These things were only useable on The Academy's network, and they functioned similarly to a cell phone. He hooked it on his ear and tapped it on.

"Dial room 413, building 3," Kakashi said, "student Sasuke Uchiha."

The comm bud chirped a few times, then the call connected. Kakashi patched it through to the room's comm panel. "Sasuke?" he said. "It's me. I'm getting a little tired of waiting out here. We need to talk."

Nothing. No response. Annoyance changed to concern in a heartbeat. Sasuke _never_ ignored him. He palmed the lock, and a little number pad popped up. Kakashi quickly typed in his instructor's override to the security lock, and it clicked. Pushing the door open, he rushed inside.

The first thing he noticed was the smell of blood. Overwhelmingly strong. The second thing he noticed was the blood itself, splashed all over the wall, comm panel, and floor. Kakashi's heart leaped into his throat. His eyes snapped down, and there was Sasuke.

Lying prone on the floor, his kid looked pale as death, surrounded by blood and shards of plexiglass. He peripherally noticed the shattered screen on the comm panel as he tapped his comm bud again.

"Shizune," he snapped, sprinting to the bathroom and snatching up all the towels he could find. The bud chirped, then a familiar voice answered. "I need a medical team to dorm building 3, room 413," Kakashi cut her off, flying back to Sasuke's side. " _NOW_."

She didn't waste time with questions. "We'll be there right away," and the comm went dead.

As carefully as he could, Kakashi gripped Sasuke's thin shoulders and eased him onto his back. To his surprise, the boy wasn't unconscious. His black eyes were open, but his whole body shook and his breaths came in tiny panting gasps. Clearly in shock.

"Hey kiddo," Kakashi said gently, eyes raking over his skinny body. The only injuries he could see were Sasuke's hands, which were still bleeding. Innumerable shards of the comm screen were embedded into them, so he couldn't really bandage them. Instead, he tied towels around his lower arms in a makeshift tourniquet to help slow the flow of blood and pulled the kid against his chest to share body heat.

"Ka . . . Kaka . . . shi," Sasuke slurred, still trembling.

"I'm here," Kakashi murmured, rocking him as when he was just a little boy. "Don't try to talk."

The boy obeyed, and gradually his shaking eased, but his eyes remained dull and unfocused. Kakashi controlled his anxiety, watching Sasuke and continuing to rock him while his mind analyzed what he knew. All the blood was centered around the communications panel, specifically the screen. It was broken, which meant Sasuke had seen something that set him off.

Or someone.

Kakashi's jaw clenched. There really was only one person who could incite such a reaction in the kid. _Unless Sasuke deleted it, the network will have record of the message,_ he thought. _Unless it was an incoming call . . ._ He gently squeezed the kid in his arms, shifting him enough to brush damp hair off Sasuke's face. There were even splatters of blood on his cheeks, lips, and chin.

 _It had to have been Itachi. God damn it._

Finally, the damn medical team showed up. Kakashi's internal clock told him it hadn't even been a full two minutes, but he still glared up at them for taking so long. Shizune, director of the medical program, was leading them, and Kakashi felt a bolt of gratitude. Only one person in The Academy was a better healer than she.

"Tsunade will meet us in the infirmary in a few minutes," Shizune said softly, dropping down beside Kakashi to give Sasuke a quick visual exam. "She was in a call and couldn't get away. How is he?"

"Not good," Kakashi replied. "Conscious but unresponsive. He's lost a lot of blood, but the only injuries are his hands. I can't tell if there are broken bones - too many shards of plexiglass." He nodded to the comm screen.

Shizune spared it the briefest glance. "Let's get him on the stretcher," she said, glancing at her two-nin med team. "We need to get him stabilized. Contact the infirmary, have them prep the surgery room."

In less than thirty seconds, they had Sasuke secured to the stretcher, sedated, with an oxygen mask strapped over his nose and mouth. Kakashi felt himself breathe a little easier when the kid's own breathing slowed to something more normal. Shizune hurried behind them alongside Kakashi, heading to the infirmary. She pulled a little data pad out of her pocket.

"From what I remember reading in Sasuke's file," she said, "he's a hemophiliac. Is he up to date on plasma treatments?"

"Yes," Kakashi replied. "We go through it once a year."

"Good," she said, nodding. "We'll get him started on fluids and a transfusion, then we'll get him right into surgery to remove the shards in his hands. Do you have any idea what happened to cause this?"

"A pretty good one," Kakashi replied. "I'll go confirm it. After I'm sure he's okay."

Shizune gave him a soft smile. "Of course."

Given the nature of this school, The Academy had an extensive infirmary with the best medical equipment. Kakashi stayed right beside Sasuke's stretcher until they took him into a surgery room. Shizune stopped him with a gentle hand.

"His injuries are not life-threatening as long as we can get the bleeding stopped," she said, "if you want to take care of other things. Tsunade will be here in just a few minutes, so feel free to use my office." She nodded toward it.

Grateful, Kakashi headed into the tidy office and closed the door. He sat at the comm panel, using his guardian's privileges to pull up Sasuke's messages. There was only one, time-stamped for 7:30 this evening. Taking a slow, deep breath, Kakashi told it to play.

Itachi Uchiha's cold, empty-eyed face appeared on the screen and delivered his hateful words. Kakashi felt every muscle in his body tighten further and further. He knew Sasuke wanted to kill his older brother, and his hatred was matched only by Kakashi's own.

He'd been one of the first people on the scene that night. That terrible, cold night. Authorities had set out on a manhunt, but it wasn't so much what Itachi had done that stuck in Kakashi's memory. Sasuke's reaction was.

Kakashi had come to that house without a clear reason, just overwhelmed by the feeling something was wrong. The smell of blood, gore, and bile had greeted him so powerfully he almost lost his supper. The sight was even worse than the smell. Itachi had torn his family to shreds. Human bits were smeared and flung all over the floor, walls, and even ceiling.

And sitting motionless in the middle of the parlor floor was Sasuke. Twelve years old, and his eyes were dead, empty black. Blood and gore were splattered all over him. His small body trembled like a leaf, but he didn't blink or make a sound. He responded to nothing at all. In fact, he responded to nothing for the next five months. When he finally came out of the catatonia, he fell apart.

The boy's emotions ranged all over the place. Black depression. Destructive rage. Vicious, spiteful anger. He lashed out at everyone and everything, most especially the authorities when they tried to question him about that night. Kakashi was the only person around whom he was sort of calm, but more than half the time he cried and wept and cried until he wore himself out and collapsed into a fitful sleep in Kakashi's arms.

Only to have Itachi follow him into sleep. Nightmares tortured him relentlessly. The kid stopped eating, barely slept, and never spoke a word to anyone except Kakashi, and they were usually cold. He wasted away to a mere shadow of a human being, and he was hospitalized again until he gained some weight.

Then of course came the drugs. Kakashi not only understood Sasuke's addiction, he could almost condone it. He knew very well the kid had started using because the high would chase away all images and memories.

Maybe if there was such a thing as a drug that didn't cause more harm than good . . .

The rehab damaged his relationship with Sasuke. The boy hardly spoke to him during the entire time, and when he was released he was quiet and bitter. It gradually got better, though. Kakashi strongly suspected Sasuke was using again, but he so wanted to trust the kid.

The worst part was, Itachi had disappeared after that night. Authorities could never find him. No one, least of all Sasuke, could come up with any reason for the young man's actions. Sasuke had told authorities Itachi didn't really say anything during the terrible act itself, and he certainly said nothing that illuminated his motive.

"Kakashi?"

Feeling sick at heart, Kakashi looked up at Tsunade. The woman had the face of someone half her age, but he knew she was well over fifty. She'd retired from the Imperial Army only to become the Head Director of The Academy and train the next generations of Shinobi, and she was doing a remarkable job, in his estimation.

She'd also been head of the team trying to hunt Itachi down four years ago.

He closed his only visible eye. "If I had managed to talk to Sasuke before he saw this message," he said quietly, "he would have been prepared for it."

Because only hours earlier this day, sightings of the man had been reported. Kakashi had lived in fear for four years that one day the man would come back and finish slaughtering his family.

 _I failed the rest of them. Every single one of them except Sasuke. I'll be damned if I let that bastard kill him, too._

Tsunade reached over and squeezed his shoulder. "This isn't your fault, Kakashi. None of it. Sasuke is in the safest place he can possibly be."

"How did he even get Sasuke's room number to call and leave him a message?" Kakashi demanded, standing up and pacing in the small space, angry and scared. "Only people with access to The Academy's student network can find that information, and the student network can only be accessed from on campus. He would have had to have _been_ here. Or someone here is working with him."

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Tsunade said softly. "I think Itachi has already proven to be incredibly talented at surprising people. We've been searching for four years with no luck."

"He's had help," Kakashi said. It was the only possible explanation.

Tsunade nodded, folding her arms under her ample bosom. "You've heard the rumors about Akatsuki?"

"Of course," Kakashi said. It was a group of the worst criminals society had ever spawned.

All rogue Shinobi from the various countries.

"We haven't really seen proof of this," Tsunade said, "but we're relatively confident Itachi joined their ranks."

Kakashi grimaced. "That thought crossed my mind, too."

Tsunade perched on the edge of the desk. "I've been watching a few students closely this year, we have some incredible potential. Sasuke included. So I was aware you utilized the _chakra_ restrictor on Sasuke and Naruto. For the time being, I'd like you to leave it on them. Right now those two aren't good for each other in combat, but there's something about Naruto . . . I just have this feeling he will be good for Sasuke. A grounding influence. Sometimes, opposite personalities in circumstances like these are a good thing."

Snorting, Kakashi scratched at his hair. "Yeah, I thought so too. He protests, but I can tell Sasuke likes Naruto."

It was Tsunade's turn to snort. "He's a likeable kid. Reminds me of my Controller."

A knock on the office door preceded it opening to reveal a young man with silvery hair and dark-rimmed glasses. Kakashi recognized Kabuto Yakushi, a talented med-nin as skilled as Shizune. At least. He smiled at Kakashi.

"Sorry to interrupt. Shizune- _san_ just wanted me to tell you Sasuke- _kun_ is stable and we've already gotten most of the shards removed. We're going to start the transfusion and plasma treatment as soon as we're done and the bleeding has completely stopped."

"Has it slowed, at least?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke's hemophilia may be manageable, but it was still a severe case and would probably never not cause Kakashi at least small worry.

Kabuto nodded. "Yes."

Kakashi felt his breathing come a little easier. Tsunade stood up.

"I'll put Academy security on alert," she said. "Kabuto, for the time being, no visitors for Sasuke when he's in recovery except for myself and Kakashi."

The young man nodded. "I'll inform Shizune- _san_." He trotted back the way he'd come.

"Would you mind sending someone to Sasuke's room?" Kakashi asked, looking up at Tsunade, belatedly remembering Gaara. He really shouldn't walk in to that grisly scene.

Tsunade smiled at him. "Already done. Now I think you should call Iruka, then go be with your kid."

Kakashi waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah."

She chuckled as she left the office. Kakashi rubbed a hand over his face and put his comm bud back on his ear.

~o0o~

When he left Sasuke, Naruto jogged back to his and Kiba's room. Part of him worried over Sasuke while another part hoped Kakashi was about to confront him about the drug use. A little intervention might be exactly what he needed.

 _Ugh, no matter how I look at it there's no easy answer. It really sucks._

Kiba was already there, working on something at the desk. He flicked Naruto a glance. "You're back early."

"Sasuke had to go talk to Kakashi," Naruto explained, dropping clothes on the way to the bathroom. "Why are _you_ back so early?"

"Eh, decided to get caught up on a little homework. Wanna make sure to keep _all_ my grades up."

Naruto found himself nodding. Since academics weren't his strong point, maybe he could convince Sasuke to help him with that. Grabbing some clean boxers and pants, he headed to the shower. He was still pretty hot, so he turned the warm water way down and enjoyed the wash of borderline too-cold water. Grabbing the soap, he started washing away the day's sweat.

The band around his wrist had made him weirdly aware of Sasuke. He couldn't hear the other teen's thoughts or anything, but he could get a general sense of what he was feeling at any given time. His sense of Sasuke got really vague when the other teen was high, and that was a bizarre sensation.

So he wasn't caught off guard when he got a new emotion from Sasuke. No, that wasn't what caught him off guard at all.

 _PAIN HATE RAGE PAINHATERAGERAGERAGE_

It exploded inside him, burning along his _chakra_ channels as if Sasuke had suddenly gone completely crazy. It was so painful he dropped to his knees with a choked groan, clutching his head. Red, red, red washed everything away, it was all he could see. It paralyzed his entire body, he could barely breathe.

His mind frantically railed at him from some distance away, commanding him to get up, to move, to go find out what the fuck had happened. His body would not obey. A peculiar sense of disassociation crept over him, as if he was watching someone else crouch in the bottom of the shower trembling like a newborn fawn.

Then, as sudden as it came, it passed. The aftershocks jolted through him for long moments, then he leaped to his feet. His vision greyed out alarmingly, but after a few seconds he found his balance and his head cleared. Turning off the water, he flew out of the shower and grabbed a towel. He spared almost no time to dry himself off, jamming his legs into boxers and pants and throwing on one of his many orange-and-black hooded sweatshirts.

"Geez," Kiba muttered when Naruto burst out of the bathroom, "thought you might be drowning in there. It's been twenty minutes."

Naruto barely heard, but he dimly registered the shock of that statement. _Twenty minutes?_ He said nothing, just bolted out of their room. He thought Kiba called after him, but he didn't really notice. He sprinted full-speed two floors up to Sasuke's room. He palmed the announcer chime twice before abandoning it. Sasuke wasn't here. He somehow _knew_ it. Whirling, he blindly ran toward the main building.

 _Kakashi-sensei will know. If something's wrong, he'll know. Hafta find Sasuke. Gotta get to him. He needs me. Needs me._

His racing feet, covered neither by sock nor shoe, carried him to the infirmary. Made sense, what was left of his rational mind approved. He almost couldn't slow his momentum enough for the doors to slide out of his way and smacked into them. He made it four steps when Kakashi emerged from a side office.

This time, Naruto couldn't slow himself in time and ran right into the man.

"Whoa!" Kakashi said, catching him around the collar and righting him. "What's got you in such a panic?"

"Sasuke!" Naruto blurted. "Need to find him. He's hurt -"

"Slow down," Kakashi said, and abruptly Naruto found himself sitting in a chair. "I should have thought about band, I apologize. That had to have freaked you out a little, huh?"

"I don't care about that," Naruto snapped, leaping back to his feet. "Where's Sasuke? What happened to him?"

"He's still in surgery, but he'll be all right," Kakashi said.

" _Surgery_?"

"Yeah, picked a fight with a comm screen," Kakashi chuckled.

Naruto's fist was about ready to start a fight with Kakashi's face if the man didn't start taking this a little more seriously. "I want to see him."

Kakashi's large hand pushed him back down onto the chair. "As soon as he's out of surgery. They're just removing the last shards from his hands now, be patient a little, hm?"

Patience so was not Naruto's strongest virtue. He tried to distract himself with questions. Clearly Sasuke had thrown his fists into the comm screen, but such an outburst seemed very unlike him. "Why'd he do it?" he demanded. Or, more appropriately, "What'd he see that _made_ him do that?"

Kakashi patted his shoulder. "Just wait here. I'll come get you when he's in recovery." He turned to go.

"It was Itachi, wasn't it?" Naruto asked quietly.

Kakashi didn't stop walking. "I'll be back soon." And he disappeared out of the foyer.

Clenching his fists, Naruto got back up and started pacing. He only knew what had been published about that incident four years ago, but he did know Itachi had never been caught. He'd never even been found. _Is he after Sasuke?_ Even the possibility of Sasuke being in danger made Naruto's heart pound a sickly staccato in his chest.

Ten minutes later he'd about paced a hole in the floor, and he was ready to go barging into every room in the infirmary until he found Sasuke. _Finally_ Kakashi reappeared. His only visible eye squinted in his unseen smile.

"He's in recovery. Come on." He beckoned.

Naruto charged after him, shoving past him into the recovery room only to stop short just on the threshold. Sasuke looked pale as death, multiple wires attached here and there. There were three IV bags, two clear, one red. There was no nasal cannula, and that made Naruto feel a little better.

 _At least he's breathing easy._

He carefully gripped one skinny arm, chafing gently to warm it. "You awake, bastard?" he murmured.

Kakashi snorted softly. "He's just sleeping off the sedative. He'll wake soon. Do you mind staying with him? I have a few things I need to see to right away. I'll be back in an hour or so."

"I'll stay with him," Naruto replied, not taking his eyes off Sasuke's face.

When Kakashi left, Naruto paced around the bed a few times. The only injuries seemed to be his hands, currently wrapped in clean white bandages. There were a few tiny little cuts on his face and neck, almost unnoticeable. Satisfied, Naruto sat on the edge of the bed.

"Was it that asshole, Sasuke?" he whispered. "Is he the reason you did this to yourself?"

Sasuke's lips moved, but no sound came out. A second later his eyelashes fluttered. Slowly, ebon eyes opened, and Naruto almost grinned at how dazed and unfocused they were. Clearly still under the influence of the sedative. He couldn't help himself, reaching down to brush hair off Sasuke's forehead.

"Hey, cutie. You're pretty out of it, hm?"

Sasuke stared at him blankly for several long moments before slowly blinking. His lips parted, but no sound issued forth. He licked them, swallowed, and opened his mouth again. "Na . . . Narrr . . . ?"

Chuckling, Naruto rubbed a thumb across Sasuke's cheek. "Close enough."

Blinking again, Sasuke slowly turned his head, eyes moving all around the room. "Wha . . . um, where . . . ?"

He couldn't seem to focus long enough to ask a full sentence. Or even complete a word. Naruto gently gripped his chin, turning his face so he could look him in the eye. "You're in the infirmary. Pretty doped up on painkillers. You beat the shit out of some offensive comm screen. Remember?"

Sasuke closed his eyes and swallowed thickly. "Oh. Yeah."

He sounded so lost, so small, so wounded. It was absolutely a call Naruto could not ignore. He clambered onto the bed, jostling the smaller teen quite a bit as he got into just the perfect position to hold Sasuke against his chest. "Hey. Don't start feeling sorry for yourself. Where's that bitchy, condescending jerk I've come to loathe so well?"

"Hn. Idiot." The word reverberated softly against the skin of his neck.

Chuckling, Naruto pressed his cheek to Sasuke's ebony hair. "There he is. Go back to sleep, bastard. You'll feel better in the morning. Then this cute, compliant you will turn back into whiny, arrogant you."

A faint sound that might have been a snort of amusement. Followed by an even fainter, "Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

Nothing for a long, long while. Then, just as Naruto was sure Sasuke had fallen back to sleep,

"Stay . . ."

He shifted Sasuke a little so he could press his lips to a dry, hot forehead. "Don't worry, bastard. I'm not going anywhere."

This time when Sasuke drifted off, there was the very tiniest hint of a smile on his lips.


	8. Honesty

**A/N:** I was not the only one who thought Sasuke hopped up on painkillers was cute, haha. And there's a wee bit o' citrus ahead (sort of, you'll see).

* * *

 **A Certain Kind of Comfort**

Waking turned out to be a monumental feat, hand over fist through inky darkness to the land of the living. When he finally managed to lever open heavy eyelids, he snapped them shut instantly to block out the light stabbing into them. Groaning faintly, he turned his head to the side and rubbed his face in the pillow beneath his head. It wasn't as soft as his own, and the smell was off. Too . . . sterile.

"Sasuke?" said a familiar voice.

A voice he hadn't heard in quite a while, one for whom it was definitely worth risking painful light. He cracked open his eyes, unable to help a small smile. "Iruka. What are you doing here?"

Kakashi's Coordinator, partner, and lover stood up from his chair, smiling warmly as he pressed his lips to Sasuke's forehead. "Well, I was missing that idiot of mine. And of course, I couldn't come see him without dropping in on my favorite kid."

One thing Sasuke loved about this man was how he could express caring and concern without sap or pity. He wanted to sit up and hug him, but there were wires all over, IV tubes, and he was so weak he could barely move. A glance up showed three IV bags, and he had a feeling one was plasma for his hemophilia.

"How long are you staying?" he asked, turning his eyes back to Iruka's face. There was something very comforting about his handsome countenance.

"Oh, just a few days," the older Coordinator replied. "I know you don't like PDA, but brace yourself. I'm gonna give you a hug."

Snorting a faint laugh, Sasuke rallied enough strength to wrap his arms around Iruka's neck and back. "I can survive one."

Iruka squeezed gently before letting go. He glanced at the three IV bags. "How do you feel? Any pain in your hands?"

His tone of voice was normal, as if Sasuke's injury was the result of something normal. He found focusing on his hands weirdly difficult. "Um, they're okay," he said after a moment. "I feel kinda weird."

"Weird how?" Iruka asked, rubbing his fingers on Sasuke's arm above the bandages.

Sasuke closed his eyes. "Sick."

Iruka smiled and squeezed his arm. "It's just the painkillers. You'll feel better when you've eaten. In fact, a nice breakfast should be arriving soon. You feel strong enough to sit up a little?"

"Yeah," Sasuke said, already feeling tired again. He glanced at one of the IV lines. "Can you . . . turn it down?"

He didn't have to explain further. Iruka leaned toward the little control panel beside the monitoring equipment. "Don't like that nice, floating feeling?" he teased, slowing the drip of the morphine.

"Feels like drowning in mud," Sasuke grunted as Iruka levered the top half of the bed up.

Iruka chuckled. "Dramatic as always. Are you cold? This room's a little chilly."

"I'm a little cold," Sasuke admitted, managing to pull the thin blanket up a little higher over his chest. It wasn't easy, he couldn't move his fingers much.

The man turned up the thermostat, then he lowered himself back into the chair by the bed. "It's almost strange to be back here," he mused. "As soon as I graduated, I beat it out of here and didn't look back. I was so eager to join the army. You know, I didn't much like Kakashi when we first met. But I still had this sinking feeling he would become my Controller."

Already fighting nodding off, Sasuke frowned slightly. "Really? Kakashi always said it was practically love at first sight."

Iruka snorted. "Hardly. He was kind of full of himself because he was so strong. You know, with having _two_ forms and all. I'm still not sure why he picked me. I had high grades and decent averages, but I was far from the strongest Coordinator of our year."

Which, Sasuke thought sleepily, was why they complemented each other so well. A strong Controller and a strong Coordinator just tended to clash. A certain blonde popped instantly into his mind, and Sasuke found himself smiling stupidly.

"Ah, but I fell victim to Kakashi's charms eventually," Iruka went on. "Everyone did. He chased me relentlessly for about two months, during which time we both partnered with everyone we could. But we always came back to each other. It was some time in our third month that I knew. He was the one."

"Was that when you became lovers?" Sasuke asked. At least, he thought he did. His lips felt kind of numb.

Iruka chuckled. "No. That came after we finally bonded at the end of our first year. It's a very . . . eye-opening experience, bonding with someone. Linking up during mock combat doesn't begin to compare. Your awareness of your partner is exponentially heightened to the point where you always know what they're feeling. I could find Kakashi blindfolded in a city of a billion people. You share everything with your partner. It's actually very difficult _not_ to fall in love."

Sasuke wanted to ask about that, too, but this time he knew his mouth didn't open.

Another chuckle, softer this time. A warm hand brushed over his forehead and cheek. "Sleep a little longer if you want, Sasuke. I'll be here when you wake."

Staying awake required more effort than Sasuke could muster.

But when he woke again, it was much easier. And less pleasant. His hands ached fiercely, and he momentarily regretted asking Iruka to ease off the painkillers.

"Oh, he's finally awake," Suigetsu's voice said. "Hey sleeping beauty. You tryin' to make me die young from a heart attack?"

Sasuke turned to find Gaara and Suigetsu with him, the former sitting in the chair Iruka had apparently vacated, the latter perched on the edge of the bed. "Where's Iruka?" he asked, stretching a little.

"Aren't we good enough for you?" Suigetsu demanded, right on top of Gaara's,

"In the infirmary office with Kakashi."

The door opened, and Naruto came charging in. "Sasuke! You're finally awake. And looking way more lucid than last night!"

Sasuke looked up as Naruto stopped on the opposite side of the bed from Gaara. He had a very vague memory of seeing Naruto last night, but he could remember nothing specific. For some reason, the blonde had a stupid grin on his face. Well, more stupid than usual.

The recovery room's bathroom door opened, and Neji stalked out, a scowl on his face. "What are you doing here, Uzumaki? Leave."

Leaning back against the pillows, Sasuke closed his eyes. "He might as well stay. This dumb band is keeping us connected." He raised his left wrist a little.

"Hear that, Hyuga?" Naruto said, plopping himself down on the bed and jostling Sasuke. "I can stay. What are you three doing here, anyway? I got special permission from Kakashi- _sensei_ thanks to these bands to miss class."

"What?" Suigetsu whined. "Really? Man, that sucks! How come he likes _you_ so much?"

"Heh, heh," Naruto smirked. "I'm special."

"Yeah, ya are," Suigetsu said with a noisy sigh. "Damn Controllers with your multiple forms."

Sasuke could hear in his friend's voice that he liked Naruto. For some reason, that made him a little happy. Then he frowned. _Why does that make me happy? That's stupid._

A warm finger rubbed between his eyebrows and down over the bridge of his nose. "Don't frown, Sasuke," Naruto said. "You'll get wrinkles before you're twenty."

"Fuck, that would be a shame," Suigetsu said. "He's so damn cute. Don't you think, Naruto?"

There was no reply to him for several moments, and Sasuke didn't see a reason to open his eyes while that finger kept rubbing up and down the bridge of his nose. It felt weirdly nice.

"Yeah," came the eventual answer.

Sasuke really, really hoped he wasn't blushing. He finally opened his eyes to give Naruto a weak glare. "We've been over this, _dobe_."

"What?" Suigetsu cut in. "You've called him cute before, Naruto? What'd I miss?"

"Nothing," Sasuke said, rolling his eyes and turning his head out of reach.

Naruto chuckled. Then jostled Sasuke some more when he moved on the bed. "Iruka- _sensei_! I'm real glad to see you!"

Iruka appeared into the room (which really, was beginning to feel a little crowded), smiling. "I just saw you this morning, you know. And I thought you were going to bring Sasuke breakfast?"

"Heh," Naruto said, scratching the back of his neck. "I ate it. But! I was here _hours_ ago and Sasuke was sleeping so peaceful I didn't want to wake him up."

Which served to remind Sasuke he was hungry.

"Well, go to the cafeteria and come back with lunch," Iruka instructed.

Sasuke twitched. _Lunch? How long was I asleep?_

Then Kakashi walked into the room, followed by the Head Director herself. Kakashi made a lazy hand gesture. "All right boys," he said, "come back after classes. Sasuke needs rest."

His three friends gave Kakashi looks best described as mulish before leaving. Each of them squeezed his shoulder on their way out.

"How are you feeling, Sasuke?" Tsunade asked.

Her concern was weird; he didn't know her well at all. Sasuke shrugged, looking up at Kakashi as the man leaned over him and kissed his forehead. Which tickled because of the mask.

"What is it?" Iruka asked, frowning at her. "You look troubled by something."

She folded her arms beneath her ample bosom. "I'm technically retired from the Imperial Army, but my skills and former position are both still respected. So I was notified by ANBU that Itachi has been spotted several times in the last three days. Close to The Academy."

Sasuke didn't really feel up to this yet, and it must have shown on his face. Iruka sat beside him and squeezed Sasuke's shoulder.

"I already know," Kakashi said, and his body language bespoke tension. "What I don't know is why you're telling Sasuke this. He doesn't need the stress."

Tsunade's expression suggested she thought Kakashi was being obtuse. "We've been searching for this man for four years. This is the first time since his disappearance we've even seen him. We both know it's no coincidence. He's looking for something. Some _one_. This is our chance."

"No," Kakashi said. Flat. Low. Hard.

"I understand your concern -" she began.

"No, I really think you don't," Kakashi cut her off. "No way on this good earth am I allowing you to use him as _bait_ to lure -"

"There would be Shinobi with him every step of the way," Tsunade insisted. "We're fully prepared to risk our lives to -"

"Fine," Kakashi said, "risk your lives. That's your choice. But I will _not_ allow you to risk my kid's life over something so foolhardy and dangerous -"

"You haven't even heard my plan!"

"I don't give a shit about any plan," Kakashi snapped.

The profanity mildly surprised Sasuke. His guardian never cursed.

Iruka finally stirred. "Tsunade- _sama_ ," he said quietly, "don't you think Sasuke has been through enough? Kakashi isn't trying to be difficult, but we would both feel better if he never had to see that man again."

It would have been amusing, were the circumstances different, how quickly Tsunade's countenance changed when she regarded Iruka. It softened completely. "I know, I truly understand. But we still have no clear idea what Itachi's motives or objectives are. We didn't four years ago, we don't now. The only thing we know for sure is he wants Sasuke."

"He's just a _kid_ ," Kakashi all but growled. " _My_ kid. I will not allow you to use him as bait just so you can get the satisfaction of being the one to capture the most dangerous criminal . . ."

Even as a tiny little boy, Sasuke had _hated_ people talking over his head as if he wasn't there. Lurching upright, he reached for the small glass of water on the bedside table and flung it off as hard as he could. It hurt his hand, and the glass made a satisfyingly loud shattering sound. Three sets of concerned eyes finally landed on him.

Sasuke ignored all but Kakashi. "I'm not five anymore," he said, gazing up into the unmasked eye. "I know you want to protect me, but you can't. I don't want you to. I have to do this, Kakashi. And if you say I can't, then I'll sneak out when you're not looking and go after him anyway."

He'd lied to Kakashi about so many things. In this, at least, he wanted to be totally honest.

Tsunade snorted. "You're a good kid, Sasuke."

Iruka squeezed his knee.

For a long, long time Kakashi stared down at him in stony silence. Then all at once he relented. He heaved a sigh. "If I can't talk you out of it, we're doing this my way or not at all."

Nodding, Sasuke slumped back against the pillows. "Okay." Soft and a little meek.

"First," Kakashi said, "you master your control issues with that band. I'll take it off Naruto and put it on me, instead."

The words sent an odd thrill through Sasuke. He'd never once practiced with his guardian.

"Leave it on Naruto for a few more days," Iruka interjected here. "I've been reading their scores together. They're teaching each other quite a lot."

"I agree," Tsunade said, nodding. "But we shouldn't take too long. We have no way of knowing when Itachi -"

"He'll stick around," Kakashi said, sounding plenty confident. "Now I think we've freaked my kid out enough for one day." He brushed his fingers over Sasuke's forehead. "I'll be back in a few hours. You just rest until then, hm?"

Moments after he and Tsunade left, Naruto returned with a big sandwich and a sliced apple. "I'm back, Iruka- _sensei_! I saw Kakashi- _sensei_ in the hall. How come you never told me you guys were partners?"

Sasuke gratefully accepted the sandwich.

Iruka chuckled. "Hardly a conversation between an adult and a little kid."

"He has more than one form, huh?" Naruto demanded, jostling Sasuke _again_ as he plopped on the bed. "He's so badass he's gotta have more than one."

"He has two," Iruka confirmed, "though they perform with varying degrees of effectiveness. Perhaps you two would like to have a go with the two of us?"

"No," Sasuke interrupted before Naruto could reply. "Maybe next year."

"Tell me about him!" Naruto demanded like a spoiled toddler.

Smiling, Iruka leaned back in the chair. "Okay."

Their voices wound around him pleasantly while Sasuke finished his sandwich. He contributed nothing, and they seemed to expect nothing. It was comfortable and soothing, and before he knew it he drifted back to sleep.

~o0o~

It took about half an hour, but eventually Sasuke finished falling to sleep. Naruto watched out of the corner of his eye the whole time, feeling ridiculously warm and fuzzy inside. Sasuke looked peaceful and comfy. _He wants me here. He wanted me to stay last night, he wanted me to stay today._

"He'll be back to himself tomorrow," Iruka said quietly, sounding amused. "Tell me how you are, Naruto. Your averages are all over the place, just like I knew they'd be."

"I'm great, _sensei_!" Naruto assured him. "I love it here. I've already learned so much. There are a bunch of great Controllers this year, and some of them have already been helping me with things."

"And your third form?" Iruka asked gently. "Have you practiced with it at all?"

Naruto grimaced, staring down at Sasuke's sleeping face. "Not really. It . . . it kinda scares me. That form is crazy powerful, and I have a hard time controlling myself." He shook himself and beamed Iruka his fox grin. "I wanna get a lot stronger before I tackle it!"

"Are the students and teachers kind to you?" Iruka asked.

"Oh, yeah," Naruto said, nodding. "Sasuke wasn't. Not at first. Fuck, he was an asshole!" He laughed. "But I managed to get him to thaw toward me a little."

Iruka snorted faintly. "He's quite a handful." But there was no mistaking the fondness in his eyes when he looked down at the sleeping raven.

"Ugh, he's _real_ high maintenance," Naruto groaned. "But I decided. He's going to be my Coordinator. We're gonna bond at the end of this year."

Iruka's chocolate brown eyes studied him in surprised silence, then he chuckled. "You sound like Kakashi. Said he knew right away I would be his. Wouldn't give it up. But you're sure? About Sasuke?"

"Yep!"

"Then find a way to make it work," Iruka said. "Remember what I told you all those years ago. You're strong. Stronger than anyone. Other people can't help but acknowledge that strength."

Iruka, Naruto thought with a wide grin, was probably the best person on the planet. He was just the best. Back home, he'd been one of the very few to give Naruto the time of day, one of the very few who didn't blame Naruto for what had happened to his parents.

"Hell yeah!" he enthused. "I'll graduate from here at the top just like you and Kakashi- _sensei_ did, me and Sasuke will join the Shinobi in the Imperial Army, and pretty soon I'll be at the top, then I'll be the next Hokage!"

Iruka shook his head, grinning. "That confidence and faith in yourself is exactly what will see those dreams of yours through."

Naruto sighed happily. "Ne, _sensei_? What was Sasuke like when he was a kid?"

Blinking, Iruka propped his ankle on his opposite knee. "He was a sweet little boy. Smiled a lot, wanted to please his elders, especially his father. Actually, he was a lot like his mother. It's a pity you never knew Mikoto. She was a warm and loving woman. Even if this sounds selfish, a large part of me is grateful to have met Kakashi just to be part of the Uchiha family. Mikoto was like a sister to me, didn't matter there was no blood relation."

A bolt of sweetly warm loss slivered through Naruto. There seldom were days that passed he didn't think about his own parents, wonder what they would have been like, if his family would have been close, if his parents would have been proud of him.

"Did you know my mom at all?" he asked softly.

Iruka gave him a sad smile. "Kushina? Yeah. I knew her, too. She and Mikoto were friends. Good friends. They went to The Academy together. Roommates. You would have loved her. And she would have _loved_ you. Kushina wanted to be a mother more than anything. Mikoto teased her about it a lot. And you know, she was dead set against having children. But she was the one who never even joined the Imperial Army. She graduated, then got married and maybe six months later was pregnant."

"Itachi," Naruto murmured. "How much older is he than Sasuke?"

"Six years," Iruka replied.

"Fuck, he was only eighteen when he lost his fucking mind and killed his entire family?"

The Coordinator nodded. "Yeah. Just a kid himself."

Naruto shook his head. "Why'd he do it? Was there anything leading up to it that . . . I dunno, shed any light on it? Even after the fact?"

"Not really," Iruka said. "Itachi was a good kid. Obedient, studious, and smarter than anyone his age. Acted like an adult by the time he was twelve. Sasuke loved him to death, followed him everywhere, wanted to be just like his big brother. And Itachi loved Sasuke. In fact . . ." Iruka abruptly shuddered. "Most everyone felt that as he got older, the only thing Itachi loved was Sasuke. He was about thirteen when he started changing. Growing more distant. More cold. When he entered The Academy, he sailed through everything with ease.

"But the thing that shocked us all," he continued, "was that Itachi didn't bond at the end of his first year. Everyone expected him to. Nearly every Coordinator in his year would have killed for the chance to bond with him, but he didn't."

"Why not?" Naruto demanded, frowning. What could possibly possess a Controller that he wouldn't want to bond?

Iruka shook his head. "A question he refused to answer. But it was after that when Fugaku stopped allowing Sasuke to spend so much time with his brother. Said he didn't want Itachi's sudden laziness rubbing off on his son."

Naruto got the distinct impression that was only half the reason for Fugaku's decision. He also got the impression that was all Iruka would say on the matter, so despite his burning curiosity he didn't ask. It felt sorta wrong to be talking about this behind Sasuke's back, so he changed the subject.

"What are Kakashi- _sensei's_ two forms?"

Smiling, Iruka folded his hands over his flat stomach. "His primary form is a long white quarterstaff with chains attached to both ends. He's very proficient with this form, and the chains can lengthen at his will. Since lightning is his best element, it's a deadly combination. His second form is a crossbow with an unusually large guard. The bolts are pure _chakra_ , of course, and he usually uses one of his lightning _jutsus_ for them."

"Which one's your favorite?" Naruto asked, grinning in excitement just thinking about it.

"Well, he prefers the staff," Iruka replied, "but I prefer the crossbow. I've always been more comfortable fighting distance than melee."

"I think Sasuke likes my first form better," Naruto mused. "He actually seems to like being in the thick of things with me. God I love partnering with him. He switches between _taijutsu_ and _ninjutsu_ without a problem. And the Uchiha family ability is impressive as hell. Sharingan? He used it for the first time when we were fighting Kakashi- _sensei_. Saw right through his _genjutsu_."

"You fought Kakashi?" Iruka said with a frown. "He sure is a cruel man. Were you able to provide any kind of challenge?"

"Heh, not much," Naruto admitted easily. "That just made it more exciting! I'd _love_ to spar you and Kakashi- _sensei_ , but Sasuke . . . hm. I think he likes to be assured of victory before battling."

Iruka snorted. "Gets that from his father. The Uchihas are planners and strategists."

They talked for a while about Naruto's exploits during his first several weeks at The Academy, and Naruto couldn't stop smiling. _I'm glad you're here, Iruka-sensei_. Very few people had the ability to make everything seem better just by being around.

 **~*o0o*~**

By the end of the day, even though he'd slept through half of it, Sasuke felt worn out. His emotions crowded right to the surface, a place he didn't like them to be, and every time a nurse came in to check on him he snapped at her until she left. Whoever happened to be sitting with him at the time scolded him, but he couldn't make himself care. He hated infirmaries and didn't want to be in one.

Around seven, Neji and Gaara stopped by his recovery room. Iruka, who'd been by his bedside pretty much all day, smiled when he saw them and stood up.

"Here's the evening shift. Sasuke, I'll see you in the morning, all right? Kakashi and I have a little catching up to do. You've been monopolizing all my attention today."

Sasuke snorted softly, accepting the man's hug before he straightened and left. Neji immediately locked the door and drew the curtain around the bed closed.

"The nurse agreed you'll be fine for the next several hours," he said, setting his pack on the bedside table and extracting his little black case. "I think you've been through enough for a year."

Sasuke watched him stab the needle into the port on his IV drip. Bright green fluid slowly oozed down the line, and Sasuke felt his body tingle in anticipation. It had been a few days now, which might explain why he felt kind of sick.

"I partnered with Sakura today," Gaara said in his quiet voice. "She's an incredibly talented Controller."

"Yeah," Sasuke said, feeling the anticipation heighten when the green fluid reached the IV inserted into Sasuke's inner elbow. His heart gave an excited little flop.

"Suigetsu partnered with Ino and sparred with us," Gaara went on. "I had a difficult time claiming victory."

Slowly, so slowly, the warmth of Poison spread through Sasuke's veins. He'd never experienced such a lazy climb, and the pleasant tingle wormed its way slowly over his skin. Tilting his head back, Sasuke tried to watch the last of the green fluid disappear from the line, tried to listen to Gaara detail his spar with Suigetsu, tried to watch Neji.

His mind just wouldn't focus. His lips parted to softly pant each breath, and the pain in his hands bled away. All the shadowy images of black and red murder faded into multicolored whorls of air every time Neji or Gaara moved. A hand caressed his face, and he instinctively leaned into the touch. His eyes fluttered shut, and he moaned as that blissful tingle traveled from his scalp to his toes.

Lips, butterfly soft, feathered over his own. Prismatic color burst behind his eyelids, forming a landscape of rainbow-hue. His whole body arched up into the contact, suddenly wanting more. So much more. The touch felt familiar and comforting. Safe.

Now those lips were at his ear, chuckling faintly. A warm wash of air over his ear. "Cute."

"Nn, Naa . . ." Sasuke whined. "Touch me."

"Oh, I will. Shh."

Hard and soft at the same time, a mouth landed on his. A tongue shoved inside his mouth, sparking another burst of color. Sasuke whined as strong arms wrapped around him. He wrenched away from the consuming kiss, forcing his eyes open to stare into blue. Summer blue. Summer-sky blue. Warm. Hot.

"Look at you," that enticing mouth purred. "All hot and bothered."

The colors his words stirred up in the air distracted Sasuke, and he watched them float away. He heard another chuckle, then abruptly they were turning him over. Fingers carded through his hair, tightening at the base of his skull but not causing him pain. Another hand traveled over his chest, grazing suddenly sensitive nipples. Yet another pair of hands gripped his thighs and pried them open.

"Na-Naru . . ." Sasuke panted.

"Shit you're cute."

Lips and teeth nibbled lightly around the shell of his ear. Another pair of lips nipped along his shoulders and neck. Somehow a third mouth suckled gently at a nipple while a third planted stinging bites along his hip to his thigh.

"Nnghaa!" he cried out when it reached his half-erect length and swallowed him down.

And yet another mouth nipped across the swell of his ass, hands spreading him to expose him. Planting a soft kiss right to his anus before a long tongue speared inside. Deep, _deep_ inside. It drove all the air from Sasuke's lungs, made colors dance wildly before his eyes. He exploded into a million, prismatic stars.

~o0o~

He didn't want to, but Naruto agreed to leave the infirmary and let Sasuke rest until morning. Swinging by the cafeteria around dinner time, he caught up with Kiba, who was with Sasuke's friend Suigetsu. Of his fellow junkies, this was the one whom Naruto liked the best.

"Hey!" he greeted. "You two been partnering today?"

"Why, we sure did, handsome," Suigetsu said. "Kiba is my favorite. And your second form. I love big guns, what can I say."

Oh, there was a wealth of vulgar comments waiting to be said there. Naruto abstained, grinning as he plopped down beside them.

"Where you been all day?" Kiba demanded. "Haven't seen you or Sasuke once."

Surprised, Naruto looked at him. _Apparently no one knows what happened?_ He glanced at Suigetsu, who seemed in no hurry to say anything about it, so Naruto just shrugged. "Something came up. And Iruka- _sensei_ is here visiting for a few days."

"What? Why didn't you say so!" Kiba exclaimed. "I wouldn't mind saying hello to him."

"Well shit, come by Kakashi- _sensei_ 's office tomorrow morning with me," Naruto said. By then, Sasuke would be released as long as there were no complications with his hands. Or his hemophilia. Thinking about his friend having such a dangerous blood disorder actually made Naruto feel a little queasy.

Seriously. He felt a little lightheaded.

Wait.

 _Wait_. He felt strange. Kinda floaty . . . a little tingly . . . and it was suddenly really fucking hard to concentrate. He thought he heard Kiba say something, but he wasn't sure what. He blinked, wondering why there were colors floating around Kiba's head. Closing his eyes, he rubbed them fiercely.

Only, when he closed his eyes, colors swirled around behind his eyelids in a manner rather nauseating.

It took him a good thirty seconds to realize what he was seeing. Or rather, what _Sasuke_ was seeing. _Fuck, he's high. That bastard Neji must have given him Poison right in the infirmary._ He was experiencing a rather strange afterimage. And it only got stranger when he felt a bolt of something altogether more alarming.

"Uh, I gotta go," he blurted, leaping to his feet and abandoning dinner.

Sprinting out of the cafeteria, Naruto dodged incoming students, making his way steady and as fast as he could to his dorm. He frantically palmed the lock, threw the door open, slammed it, and flung himself down onto his bed. Arousal burned strongly through his veins, and he squeezed the rapidly growing bulge in the front of his pants.

"What the fuck," he breathed, once more closing his eyes and focusing on the distant (but strong) impression of Sasuke.

A wildly colorful landscape sprang up, filled with nonsensical shapes. He saw Sasuke immediately, wrapped up in someone's embrace, naked and glistening with perspiration, legs spread wide open, lips parted and gasping.

No, Naruto amended. Not someone. _Himself_. _He_ had Sasuke pinned, his hands and mouths all over Sasuke's ivory skin. There were four of him making Sasuke whimper and moan.

"Na-Naru . . ." Sasuke abruptly gasped.

Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist from behind, pressing his lips to Sasuke's ear. "Shit you're cute," he breathed, aware of the actions of all his selves as he let his mouths wander.

Sasuke gave a soft, sweet, and utterly addicting little cry when Naruto took his half-hard erection down his throat, and Naruto hummed in response. The slim body in his arms twitched and writhed. Naruto cupped his perfect, tiny ass and spread him open, staring for a few seconds before thrusting his tongue in as deep as he could.

That was all it took for Sasuke to come hard, stirring up millions of prismatic stars. He went boneless in Naruto's hold. Chuckling, Naruto gathered him close.

"I had no idea you liked me like this," he murmured in Sasuke's ear as the other boy's trembling eased. "Just wait 'til I get my hands on you in real life."

Sasuke didn't reply, wearing only a blissed-out smile. Grinning, Naruto just cuddled him closer and watched the colors dance.


	9. Answer for Answer

**A/N:** Sorry it's been so long since I updated, I'm out of town and haven't had a lot of time!

* * *

 **Intensity**

The chronometer on the wall said it was eight am when Sasuke woke the next morning. He felt infinitely better, the pain in his hands lessened to a dull ache. They were stiff, but the stabbing pain was gone. All the wires and tubes were gone, too, save for the saline IV. Which was good, because he had to pee in a really bad way. Easing his legs over the side of the bed, he stood up and was pleased to find his legs supported him without shaking. He hurried to the bathroom, pushing the IV pole along with him, and closed the door.

Only to be confronted with a new problem. His bandaged hands were stiff enough he couldn't really grip anything. Not the waistband of his scrub pants, not the lid on the toilet. But he managed to sort of wedge his fingers under the toilet lid and push up, doing the same for the scrubs.

Holding himself to take a much-needed piss, however, was out of the question. The absurdity made him snort a sardonic laugh. The anxious complaints of his bladder convinced him sitting was fine, and he managed.

When he finished, he extracted a sanitary wipe from the small dispenser on the bathroom counter and wiped his fingers as best he could. When he walked back out, Kakashi was perched on the chair still by the bed, reading one of his questionable adult books.

"Good morning," he said without looking up as Sasuke made his way back to the bed. "Shizune will be here in a minute to check your hands, then I think we should be able to get you out of here." He finally lifted his eye from the pages of his book. "You look a lot better, kiddo."

Lowering himself onto the edge of the bed, Sasuke studied his guardian's masked face. He could hear a wealth of relief and affection in the man's tone, and it warmed him. "I feel better," he murmured. Then his curiosity wouldn't let it go unanswered any longer. "Are you really going to put the other band on yourself?"

"Yes," Kakashi replied. "It will benefit you to spar with a properly trained Controller, since you learn best by example. Tsunade has taken an interest in Naruto, as well."

"Really?" Sasuke said, more to be polite than because he cared. "Why?" _Okay, maybe I_ am _a little curious._

"She would be the next Hokage if anything happened to our current," Kakashi replied, "and I guess she figured she would help out her successor."

Sasuke snorted. "As if that _dobe_ could be Hokage."

Kakashi chuckled. "You might be surprised. He could have exactly what it takes."

His tone of voice gave Sasuke pause. After a moment he asked, "Iruka knew Naruto from Konohagakure. Did you?"

"Nope," Kakashi answered. "I went to the capitol city with your family, so I never met Kushina's kid."

A ghost of a memory threaded through Sasuke's mind. _Naruto said the circumstances of his parents' deaths were strange._ At the time he hadn't thought much of it. "How did his parents die?" he found himself asking.

Kakashi shook his head. "Ask him. It's a deeply personal story, one I'm sure he finds very painful. Not unlike your own."

Sasuke looked away, hearing the unspoken insinuation. _In other words, I wouldn't want people talking about me behind my back, so I shouldn't ask about him behind his._

Shizune opened the recovery room door, then, entering with a smile. "Good morning, Sasuke- _kun_. You're looking much more alert this morning. Feeling better?"

"Yeah," Sasuke replied. "Ready to get out of here."

She laughed softly. "I'm sure. No one likes infirmaries. I guess that makes me pretty unpopular."

"You need a bigger chest," Kakashi offered. "Like Tsunade."

Sasuke coughed lightly to cover his sudden embarrassment while Shizune gave the man a frosty look. Then she strode to the bed and deliberately turned her back to him.

"Let's get these bandages off and see how the healing's coming along," she said, voice warm. "Tsunade- _sama_ herself used a healing _jutsu_ , and there is no Shinobi anywhere more skilled than her."

Sasuke held his hands still while she unwrapped and discarded the bandages. To his surprise, the damage was already more than half healed. Clean pink scabs already covered the wounds. Shizune probed them with gentle fingers before making a sound of satisfaction.

"Healing nicely. There won't even be any scars."

She reached into the pocket of her white coat and pulled out a tin. A pungent aroma filled Sasuke's nose as she carefully rubbed the pale green gel over the wounds. Then she massaged the gel into his palms and each joint on each finger. When she was done, significant mobility had been restored, and Sasuke slowly flexed his hands into fists.

"Good," Shizune said. She began re-wrapping them in clean bandages. "I'll remove them tomorrow, then you should be fine. I'd also like to run one more blood test to make sure the clotting factors in your blood are normal, then you can get out of here. No sparring today."

Sasuke quickly calculated the time before nodding. It had been more than twelve hours since he'd taken Poison, it would be fully metabolized by now. He didn't fail to see Kakashi watching him closely. Sasuke pretended not to notice. As Shizune headed out, ostensibly to get what she needed, he heard a familiar voice.

"Hi, Shizune- _san_!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Good morning," she replied.

Sasuke had never been so glad to see the idiot. Potentially awkward situation with Kakashi: avoided.

"Hi, Kakashi- _sensei_!" Naruto said as he trotted into the room with altogether too much cheer.

Seriously, was there ever a second when this idiot wasn't full of energy and beaming that mega-watt smile?

"Yo, Naruto- _kun_ ," Kakashi replied. "You don't get to play hooky from class a second day, I'm afraid. Sasuke will be going back, too."

"Damn," Naruto said with a gusty sigh. "I wouldn't have minded one more day. But I'm glad to see you looking so much like your normal self, Sasuke! Who knew I'd ever be glad to see the frigid bastard, ne?"

The words should have rankled, and they were definitely deserving of a venomous barb in reply. But something about Naruto's face distracted Sasuke. The blonde had a sort of knowing gleam in his eye. It was different from anything Sasuke had ever seen in his countenance, and it put his guard up.

 _What are you up to, usuratonkachi?_

"Ne, Kakashi- _sensei_ ," Naruto drawled, "mind if me and Sasuke talk alone for a sec? Just want to ask him about something real quick."

"Sure," Kakashi said easily, standing up. "When Shizune's done, Sasuke, go ahead and head back to your room. Get dressed, go get some breakfast. You've been cooped up long enough." As he passed, he ruffled Sasuke's black hair. "You've gained a little weight. I'm glad."

As soon as he was gone, Naruto turned on the full power of his fox grin. "Ne, Sasuke. Have any good dreams last night?"

Highly suspicious of both his tone and that stupid grin, Sasuke glared up at him. "No. What do you want, idiot?"

"You sure about that?" Naruto insisted. "Any drug-induced fantasies?"

It was such a dumb line of questioning it kind of put Sasuke's back up. "You ever broken a bone and had to be on morphine?" he asked, pleased by how even his voice remained. At Naruto's nod, "Well, can you remember anything that happened while high? It's the same with Poison, _dobe_."

"Hmm. So you can't remember a particularly . . . _pleasant_ dream? Because thanks to this band, I do." Naruto tapped the metal still around his wrist.

"Good for you," Sasuke grunted.

Moving so quickly Sasuke didn't even really register it, Naruto plopped down beside him and buried his nose in Sasuke's hair. "Don't you want to know what I was doing in your dream, Sasu-ke? Or should I say, _who_?"

The combination of unexpected touch and even more unexpected words made Sasuke's eyes widen in surprise. He felt heat rising in his cheeks and shoved Naruto back with a hand right over the idiot's face. "Like I would ever dream something like that, moron."

The blonde laughed, licking Sasuke's finger. Seriously _licked_ it. Yelping, Sasuke yanked back and glared at the blonde.

"You're blushing, Sasu-ke."

The way he said his name, with that sort of lilting hitch in the middle, made Sasuke feel strange. Where the hell was Shizune, and why was she taking so long? Why did he have to be alone with this idiot who was giving him such a weird look? Why was he suddenly leaning backward, heartbeat picking up speed and fluttering madly in his ribcage? And why the fuck was Naruto leaning forward?

And when the fuck had his stupid grin been replaced with a small but arrogant smirk? And why the fuck was it (just the tiniest, minutest little bit) sexy?

 _And why wasn't he trying to pull away?_

The door opened. In the blink of an eye Sasuke put twelve inches of space between himself and a certain blonde idiot. Shizune smiled at them both as she moved to Sasuke's side.

"I'll just take a sample," she said, "then you can go. I'm sure you'd like a hot shower and clean clothes."

Nodding, Sasuke obediently held up his arm. She inserted the needle, and Sasuke looked away. He hated the color red. He was so used to needles he barely even felt it anymore, and ten seconds later she withdrew it.

"There," she said, slipping the syringe into her coat pocket. "You're all clear. Those bandages will keep water off your injuries, so you can take a shower. Remember, no sparring today. And try not to overdo it if you decide to practice _chakra_ exercises."

Sasuke nodded again, gratefully standing. He ignored Naruto as he grabbed the clean uniform Kakashi had brought him. He continued to ignore the blonde as he went into the bathroom and changed. His hands barely protested. Naruto was still there when he came back out, wearing that extremely obnoxious (and not sexy, damn it) smirk.

"Want me to wash your back?" he asked.

Sasuke blinked, somewhat taken aback by this incredibly changed (and forward) behavior. He couldn't think of any catalyst. Sure, the guy had been a bit fixated on Sasuke, but that was hardly surprising. Sasuke was considered one of the five best Coordinators of this year, and he was an Uchiha. His Sharingan would be coveted by nearly any Controller.

But this . . . this was new. This was a kind of interest Sasuke couldn't remember anyone ever directing at him. This was more intense, more focused, more . . . predatory.

It was unsettling. But even more unsettling than the interest itself was how it didn't feel unwanted. It didn't make Sasuke angry or make him want to punch the idiot in the mouth. It made him uncertain, nervous even. But it was a different kind of anxiety than fearing Kakashi might find out about his drug use.

It was a fluttery kind of nervousness in the pit of his stomach, light and . . .

Realizing he'd been silent for almost six seconds, Sasuke forced himself to refocus. "No, idiot," he managed in a fairly normal tone.

And took a startled step backward when the blonde loomed instantly into his personal space. When the hell had he started moving so fast!

"You sure?" Naruto purred, so close his nose was almost touching Sasuke's. "I have it on good authority I'm great with my hands."

Sasuke could feel himself blushing, and he shoved past Naruto so the idiot wouldn't see. "I'm going. If you want to spend time with me so bad, I'll meet you in the cafeteria for breakfast. Half an hour."

He could feel the idiot's pleased fox grin all the way out of the infirmary.

~o0o~

Naruto couldn't stop grinning as he made his way around the student dorms, rounding up Kiba, Shikamaru, Choji, Sakura, Ino, and Hinata. He didn't know yet what to make of the lavender-eyed Coordinator, she seemed awfully shy and could barely make eye contact with him for one second before blushing and looking away. But Sakura and Ino seemed to like her, so she was okay by Naruto.

As they neared the cafeteria, Naruto feeling giddy over the prospect of Sasuke joining soon, he heard someone call his name.

"Naruto!"

Already grinning, Naruto turned and beckoned to Suigetsu. "Hey. Come have breakfast with us. Sasuke's gonna be along soon."

In the last week or so, Naruto had gotten to know the other "princes of The Academy". He liked Suigetsu a lot, and he didn't particularly mind Gaara either. In fact, the only one he didn't like at all was Neji. That guy had a stick the size of a building shoved up his ass.

"Sweet," Suigetsu said. "When you two gonna be released from your sentence? I was promised a spar with you in gun form. I don't like not getting what I want."

Naruto snorted. "Few more days."

"Hi, Suigetsu," Ino chirped, linking her arm through his. "You can partner again with me. You're a lot of fun."

"You're not too bad yourself," Suigetsu returned, winking at her before outrageously waggling his eyebrows.

Ino laughed and tossed her long ponytail over her shoulder. "Handsome devil."

Pleased by this comfortable atmosphere, the group got their breakfast and sat down. Less than thirty seconds later, Suigetsu waved Gaara over. Who surprised Naruto by pushing Choji to the side so he could sit by Naruto. The redhead leaned closer to Naruto, speaking for his ears alone.

"Thank you."

Blinking, startled, Naruto looked at him. "For what?"

"Being there for him."

"Yo, Gaara!" Suigetsu said from Naruto's other side. "Let's you and me team up with the girls and go head-to-head! Me and Ino against you and Sakura. Whaddaya say?"

Gaara just nodded, tucking slowly into his pancakes.

Naruto ogled him for a few more seconds before Kiba abruptly kicked him under the table.

"Oi, birdbrain."

"What!"

Kiba smirked, nodding to Hinata. "She asked if you'd like to partner with her."

"Oh," Naruto said, flashing her his fox grin. "I'd love to, but rain check?" He held up his left hand. "This band prevents me from partnering with anyone except Sasuke. But I get to take it off in a few days, then I'm all yours!"

Which made her blush madly.

"There he is!" Suigetsu said, waving. "Over here, Sasuke!"

Sasuke wore a very mellow expression as he brought his tray to the table, and Gaara made room for him between himself and Naruto. Somehow, it felt as if the quiet (but damn intense) redhead was giving Naruto his approval. Completely unable to control the impulse, Naruto grinned and leaned toward Sasuke to once more bury his nose in that raven hair. It was soft and clean, now.

"Mm, you smell nice," he murmured.

Sasuke pulled out of reach, but he did so slowly. The glare he gave Naruto was weak at best.

"It's lavender," Suigetsu explained. "Gaara gives it to him."

"Actually," Sasuke corrected primly, taking a rather dainty bite of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, "it's Gaara's shampoo. I just always use it."

"You've got good taste," Naruto said, nodding, wrestling with the ridiculous urge to grab Sasuke and smooch him.

 _It's kinda weird, right? I mean, I thought he was cute and all, and I really wanted to get closer to him and stuff so we bond at the end of the year. But I never really thought of him like_ that _until I knew he liked me._ And now he was having all kinds of new thoughts.

Thoughts like, what would it feel like to kiss Sasuke? What would it taste like? What would it be like to touch him? To hear his voice? Would Sasuke gasp and moan? Or would he be stoic and quiet? Had he ever had sex before, or would Naruto be his first?

Naruto realized he was kind of acting like a hunter with a fawn in his sights. First, he had to get Sasuke to admit to liking him.

Not that there was any doubt. For starters, Sasuke hadn't protested sitting next to him. Nor did he protest how close they were currently sitting with shoulders brushing. _And he hasn't once complained about all the other times I've touched him,_ Naruto remembered. He'd simply been trying to get Sasuke used to the idea of companionship.

If his actions had other, more pleasant side effects, well so much the better!

An animated discussion about their various sparring experiences had started up in the group. Naruto quickly threw in, eagerly detailing his and Sasuke's battle against Kakashi. He was particularly keen to brag about Sasuke.

"He was awesome!" he concluded. "If I'd been a little more patient, we would have won for sure."

Sasuke, who'd been watching him throughout his narrative, gave him a sort of flat look. "No, we wouldn't have. It would just have delayed the inevitable. I doubt we even lasted two minutes."

"Kakashi's an impressive Controller," Gaara said in a thoughtful tone.

"I wonder what he looks like under that mask of his," Sakura said. "I bet he's handsome."

"Do you think if we asked, he'd let us see?" Ino added, looking at Sasuke.

Who just shrugged. "Probably not."

The rest of breakfast passed pleasantly, putting Naruto in a very good mood by the time morning classes started. He reluctantly parted ways with Sasuke, who promised (along with Gaara and Suigetsu) to meet him and his friends in the cafeteria for lunch before getting in more sparring. It felt like a very good thing, befriending Suigetsu and Gaara. Maybe he could convince them there had to be a better way to help Sasuke than drugs.

And a better way to help themselves.

 **~*o0o*~**

After classes were over for the day, Sasuke set about trying to find Neji. He didn't get very far before Naruto found him, instead.

"Sasu-ke!" he called. "Where you going? Wherever it is, knock it off. Let's go outside and enjoy the sun. It's still nice and warm."

Sasuke opened his mouth in automatic protest, but for some reason his heart wasn't in it. "Okay."

The blonde blinked. "Really? Giving up without a fight?" He leaned dangerously close. "I'm gonna start thinking you _like_ me, Sasu- _chan_."

He started swinging before he remembered his hands. Pulling the blow, Sasuke glared at him.

Which made the idiot start chuckling. "Heh, guess it's my lucky day, Sasu _-chan_. You can't hit me with your hands like -"

Shifting his weight to one foot, Sasuke kicked him in the gut. So hard the moron doubled over, arms clenched around his stomach as he tried to breathe. "It's my lucky day too," Sasuke mused. "It's way more satisfying kicking you." He strode past Naruto.

Moments later, strong arms wrapped around his upper chest. A broad body plastered itself to his back. "You're such an asshole!" Naruto wheezed. "Kicking a guy when his guard is down!"

Sasuke shuddered when the breath behind those words fanned, warm and pleasant, over his ear. "Would you stop being so obnoxious for ten minutes?" he demanded, pleased by the steadiness of his voice.

"Me? Obnoxious?" Naruto protested. "I'm offended."

"I rather doubt it," Sasuke said dryly. "Get off, already. I thought you wanted to go outside."

To his relief, Naruto released him to trot at his side. Unnecessarily close. "Yanno," he commented, "I really like Gaara and Suigetsu. How did you three meet?"

"I met Gaara when I was . . . about seven, I guess," Sasuke said, a little surprised. Few people liked Gaara. Found him too intimidating. "He lived in the capital city, too. I met Suigetsu at an Uchiha clan gathering maybe two years later. His mother married a distant cousin of my father's. We all became friends easily and naturally. Most adults who knew us couldn't understand why we liked Gaara, though."

"Hm, dunno why," Naruto said, folding his hands behind his head. "Sure, he's a little intense. But he's obviously pretty damn smart. The kind of guy you'd want to have your back, yanno?"

Sasuke gave him a sideways glance. "I do."

"And Neji?" Naruto asked. "How'd you meet that guy?"

Making it perfectly obvious he didn't like Neji. _But you like Gaara and Suigetsu?_ Sasuke found it strange. "The Hyugas and Uchihas are both old, prominent clans who've always been charged by the Hokage to protect the Imperial country and its people," he said absently. "Why don't you like him?"

Naruto frowned at him. "What makes you think I don't like him?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Please. Subtlety is hardly your strongest point."

With a ridiculously thoughtful expression, Naruto folded his arms and nodded. "I'm an honest sort."

"You're an idiot."

With a suddenness that left Sasuke dizzy, he was tangled up in Naruto's arms. "You don't really think that, do you?" Naruto said, low and soft, their faces altogether too close. "If you did, you wouldn't give me the time of day. Right, Sasu-ke? You'd ignore me."

Perhaps subtlety wasn't Sasuke's strong point, either. Why did he feel so helpless? His emotions and thoughts all snarled together in an inextricable mess, and he couldn't sort them out enough to come up with a response. An excuse. All that came out was a faint, "You're still an idiot."

 _Just fucking great. That may as well have been a confession._

Clearly, the same thought occurred to Naruto, because that (not sexy, damn it) grin came back. "Thought so." He unwound the embrace, but he didn't release Sasuke, keeping one hand around the other teen's wrist and breaking into an easy jog. "C'mon already, I want to enjoy the sun before it sets!"

It was a beautiful evening, to be sure, and once outside Sasuke allowed it to calm him. Naruto led the way across the grounds until he found what he must have felt was the perfect spot. Only then did he release Sasuke, and the raven waited for the blonde to sit first before folding himself down a safe-ish distance away.

"So you didn't answer how you met that guy," Naruto said, leaning back against the tree and folding his hands behind his head.

"And you didn't answer why you don't like him," Sasuke retorted.

The blonde closed his eyes. "Fair enough. You answer mine, I'll answer yours."

Curious about Naruto's thoughts, Sasuke shrugged and got comfortable. "All right. Like I said, our clans have known each other for generations. My father served alongside Neji's father. I met Neji when I was just a tiny kid, but I never really got to know him until I was older. Ten, maybe. We didn't really become friends right away. I thought he was stuck up. But my father instructed me to get along since likely we'd work together in the future."

Sasuke sighed, flopping down into the grass on his belly, propping himself up on his elbows. "Even so, I still avoided him. He really intimidated me. And he told me once I was spoiled and lazy." He snorted. "I guess I kinda was. I got a lot of attention from my family, especially my mother and brother, so I just sorta expected everyone to treat me like that. When he didn't, well. I was a kid." He shrugged again.

Then the good mood evaporated. "But after . . ."

When he faltered, Naruto gently inserted, "After that night?"

Sasuke shot him a quick look, ready to snap he didn't need pity, but Naruto's eyes were still closed. He sighed again. "Yeah. Neji was really there for me. He was the only person, aside from Gaara and Suigetsu, who didn't treat me differently. He still pushed me, still demanded excellence. I just . . . sorta came to lean on him. And when the memories would get too . . . close, he always tried to find ways to take my mind off it."

"Like drugs?" Naruto asked softly, and this time he did open his eyes to level Sasuke with an intense gaze.

Uncomfortable, Sasuke looked away. "Yeah, but like I said, it was my idea. He refused, at first. But one night when he and Gaara walked in to find me with a knife . . ." Biting his tongue, Sasuke struggled with the shame and guilt until it choked him.

A warm hand squeezed his shoulder. "Hey, you won't find any judgment here, Sasuke."

The raven Coordinator glared at the Controller. "Like hell. You've made it abundantly clear you don't approve of my nasty little habit."

Naruto returned the glare, watt for watt. "I don't like it because it's not a solution, and drugs are poison. That shit you take is aptly named, I'll say that for it. I don't judge, and you know it."

Sasuke held his gaze, this time. "Is that why you don't like Neji? You blame him?"

Rolling his eyes, Naruto leaned back again and closed them. "I don't like Neji because he's a superior asshole. He looks at you like you're this sad little wreck who would be lost without him. Like he alone holds the key to your salvation, and it's through a drug that will kill you. _That's_ why I don't like him."

Surprised by the venom in the other teen's voice, Sasuke looked over at him in silence for several long moments. Finally, "But he's done nothing to you."

"He's done to my Coordinator."

Sasuke blinked. Then rolled his eyes and shifted onto his side, back to Naruto. "I'm not your Coordinator, idiot."

For a time, neither said a word. Sasuke mulled over Naruto's comments, confused by them. Just when he'd about decided to bring it up again, he heard Naruto sit up and scoot closer to him.

"Ne, Sasuke," Naruto said, "something's been bothering me. Itachi killed pretty much your whole family, right?"

Sasuke's entire body tensed, anger immediately flaring at the idiot for deliberately poking an open wound. "You know he did," he gritted.

"How?"

Clenching his hands into fists, oblivious to the pain, Sasuke forced himself to remain still. "How _what_?"

"How did he manage to kill so many people without anyone lifting a finger to stop him?"

The anger fizzled away. It was just too wearying. He unclenched his fists and ignored the pain. "Not all of them were Shinobi," he replied dully, "and those who were turned out to be helpless against a rare but deadly Uchiha clan ability."

Strong hands abruptly curled around his own, stroking over his bandaged knuckles. "You made yourself bleed," the blonde said quietly, then lips pressed to Sasuke's temple. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

Lifting one shoulder in a rather awkward shrug, Sasuke just shook his head. "It isn't some huge secret."

Another short pause. "What was the ability?"

"A version of Sharingan," Sasuke answered. "A much, much stronger version. He . . . he used it on me that night, too." Hatred, raw and poisonous, surged up inside him. "I have no idea why he was so cruel, but when I find him again, I plan to make him tell me."

"And then what?" Naruto asked, low and cautious.

"I'll kill him," Sasuke hissed, grinding his teeth so hard his jaw ached. Then maybe he would finally be freed of this constant agony.

A heavy weight settled on his back, pushing him down into the grass as arms curled around him. "I guess I can't change your mind," Naruto murmured, "so when the time comes, I'll help you however I can."

Startled, Sasuke pushed against Naruto until he managed to roll over onto his back so he could stare up at the blonde. "Why? It has nothing to do with you."

Blue eyes, bluer than the clearest tropical waters, regarded him with naked emotion. "Because that's what Controllers do for their Coordinators."

The honesty, the caring, the concern in those words were so unexpectedly disarming Sasuke actually felt his eyes sting. Horrified, he grabbed the collar of Naruto's shirt and yanked him down into a rough embrace so Naruto couldn't look at his face. "Idiot!" he breathed. "You're such a fucking idiot, Naruto."

A quiet chuckle as Naruto embraced him in return. "Yeah. I really am."

 _But,_ Sasuke thought as he desperately hoped Naruto couldn't feel him trembling, _so am I. So am I._


	10. Uncertainty

**A/N:** I'm back in town, so I should be updating regularly now! Sorry for the delays (as soon as I got home I promptly got sick, ugh).

This chapter is dedicated to KiraKchan because you inspired a little fun angst. You'll see. ;)

* * *

 **Learn By Example  
**

For the next two days, Naruto and Sasuke didn't spar. They practiced _chakra_ exercises over and over and over, until Naruto's stamina waned and Sasuke's vanished completely. Sasuke felt frustration mounting. Like there was some kind of brick wall Naruto couldn't climb over, he only improved the smallest bit. In some areas he excelled, but in others he was well below average.

And he was not the only one feeling it. "Fuck!" Naruto cursed as their link unraveled for a fifth time. "This is ridiculous."

Sasuke didn't try to reestablish their link. ""Could this have something to do with your third form?" he asked. "Kakashi did tell me once a Controller with multiple forms can only master one of he's mastered them all."

Naruto flung himself backward on the mat. "Probably." He buried fingers in his hair. "But I can't practice with you in that form. I'd just hurt you."

Curious about the form he'd never seen (and Naruto's apparent nervousness about it), Sasuke leaned toward him a little. "What is your third form?" His second form was much bigger and more destructive than his first, so his third would be even more so than his second.

 _But what could be more destructive than a gun form?_ Sasuke wondered. Gun-forms were accepted as the most dangerous.

A smirking grin crawled over Naruto's face. "You wanna know more about me, Sasu-ke?"

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke straightened. "Stop saying my name like that, _dobe_."

"But Sasu-ke, you get the cutest little blush on your cheeks when I do!"

Growling, Sasuke curled his hand into a fist and raised it, fully intent on punching the idiot in the face. Laughing, Naruto caught his hand and straightened out his fingers.

"Be careful," he murmured, pulling Sasuke closer and feathering his lips over Sasuke's knuckles. "These precious hands just healed."

Heat flushed Sasuke's cheeks, and he tried to gather the strength to pull away. There seemed to be none in his body. Naruto lifted his free hand and brushed a strand of black hair off the other teen's forehead.

"Ne, Sasuke?" he whispered.

Sasuke's stomach fluttered at the intensity of that blue gaze. He tried to come up with a snappy reply, but all that came out was a faint, "What?"

"I really wanna kiss you right now."

Swallowing thickly, heartbeat speeding up in a sickly combination of anticipation and trepidation, Sasuke tried to find his voice. There were all kinds of reasons why this wasn't a good idea, top of the list being that he didn't like Naruto (he didn't like Naruto, right?). They shouldn't get close when there was no chance they'd bond at the end of the year. There just wasn't any chance of it. They were terrible together.

So why didn't he protest Naruto reaching up and cupping the back of his neck? Why didn't he struggle against being pulled down closer to the blonde? Why did his eyes slip shut and his lips slightly part? The warm wash of Naruto's breath fanned over his mouth, the other teen so close he could feel the heat emanating off him.

The door opened. Instantly putting a meter of space between him and Naruto, Sasuke looked up in bland greeting as Kakashi walked in. The older Controller looked down at Naruto, snorting softly through his mask.

"You two are always working so hard when I find you."

"Hey," Naruto said, looking rather peeved, "me and Sasuke have been at it all afternoon. Bystanders don't get to make cracks at hard workers."

Kakashi ignored him. "I have good news and terrible news. First, your scores together haven't improved much, so the good news is I'm taking the band off you, Naruto." He swung the tiny key on its little ring. "The terrible news is, someone else has taken an interest in my teaching methods. Tsunade decided she's going to be your personal demon for the next week, Naruto."

 _"What_?" Naruto burst out, sitting up at once. "Tsunade?" Then grinned. "Heh, even she recognizes I'm amazing!"

Kakashi's only visible eye told Sasuke the man was not in agreement with that sentiment. The older Controller leaned down and flicked Naruto right between the eyes. "It's because she recognizes how terrible you are."

Sasuke almost choked on a sudden fit of laughter. He managed to politely cough instead.

Naruto pouted. "I'm not _terrible_. I'm just not the best. _Yet_."

Pulling the little key from his pocket, Kakashi gestured to the blonde to hold up his left arm. "Well, I guess you have plenty of time to work that out. Now hurry to her office, she's waiting for you."

The idiot's energy apparently restored, he leaped to his feet and bounded out of the room, throwing Sasuke a cheeky wink. Sasuke hoped he didn't blush as he watched Kakashi put the band on his own left wrist.

"You two seem to get along well," Kakashi commented. "I'm glad." Before Sasuke could even begin to correct him, Kakashi moved on. "Now then. I'm much more proficient with this tool than Naruto, so let me see if I can teach you a few tricks. Go ahead and link up with me, then form any of your _jutsu_ attacks."

Inexplicably nervous and excited at the same time, Sasuke held out his hands to his mentor and guardian. Kakashi took them in a firm grip, spun Sasuke around and pressed him close. Sasuke barely had time to open himself up to initiate before they were abruptly linked. For the first time, he got confirmation of what he'd always suspected.

Kakashi was so powerful it made Sasuke's head spin. The sheer amount of _chakra_ surging through his channels made it almost impossible to even feel it all at once. It also didn't emanate from his veins like a rising cloud of energy, so tightly perfect was his control.

Not wanting to keep the man waiting, Sasuke started channeling some of his own _chakra_. He kept the flow small and careful. Instantly, a bolt of pain shot through him. It was so unexpected he yelped, especially because it shouldn't have happened.

"Too slow," Kakashi said. He finally released Sasuke and stepped away from him. "You can't approach learning control with an attitude of starting slow and gradually increasing your speed once you've gotten good at slow. That's doubling the amount of work you have to do. That's the problem with learning during relative peace." He shook his head.

Pointing to the wall, he nodded. "Stand over there and watch."

Disliking the chastising tone, the rather nonplussed boy did as he was told without a word. Kakashi waited for him, then took a wide and aggressive stance. Then with blinding speed he began to form hand seals. He unleashed three separate fire _jutsus_ so fast they blended into each other, and not so much as the faintest sting of pain punished his effort. His control was absolutely perfect.

Sasuke felt a sudden (and by now unfamiliar) burn of envy toward Itachi. He knew his brother had sailed through his first year so far ahead of his peers even the teachers had felt intimidated. He didn't realize he'd looked away, chagrined, until Kakashi cupped his chin and made him look up.

"Everyone learns at a different pace," he said, voice kind but firm, "so don't compare yourself to others. Learning control is difficult for nearly everyone. Do you think my _jutsus_ were always so effortless?"

"I don't know," Sasuke muttered, pulling free. "Probably."

Kakashi snorted. "Well, okay. I _was_ called a genius. But if it makes you feel better, Itachi's ability to power up massive attacks was poorer than yours."

Blinking, Sasuke looked up with a little hope. "Really?"

"Truly," Kakashi confirmed. "His control was flawless, but he couldn't build up the necessary power for the big forms like you can. It took him about eight months to master that, and you've already got that down."

That actually did make Sasuke feel a little better. Shaking his hands and arms to loosen them up, he rolled his shoulders. "Okay, I want to try again."

"Good boy. Try visualizing what you want. It's a very effective tip I learned from Iruka."

A trick Sasuke had also learned from his guardian's gentle lover. Nodding, he took a few deep breaths and tried again. The sting of pain was no less than last time, cutting him off right as he began.

Kakashi, however, nodded. "That was a little better. Try not to think so much. Over-preparing yourself makes you tense up, which wastes time and energy."

 _Obviously this stupid band isn't punishing him,_ Sasuke thought with some venom. That didn't seem fair. Still, he wasn't about to let that keep him from this rare opportunity. He was well aware no other student received this kind of special attention, after all. The thought abruptly warmed him.

Closing his eyes, he tried again. Again, the sting of pain.

"Faster," Kakashi instructed. "You're still hesitating."

For the next two hours, Sasuke attempted to follow Kakashi's instructions. Each attempt ended in that flash of pain. He grew more and more frustrated, body tensing further with each time. Kakashi's tone of voice never changed, something weirdly hypnotizing about the calm but firm sound. After probably the one hundredth attempt, Sasuke felt on the very brink of losing his temper.

Then, as quickly as water pouring out a sieve, the anger flowed out of him. What was the point in getting mad? It solved nothing and accomplished even less than nothing. Eyes closing, entire body relaxing and going half limp, Sasuke dropped into a cross-legged position and just formed a quick hand seal for the fireball _jutsu_ , the signature seal of the Uchiha clan.

The pain that thrummed along his nerves was half as strong.

"Much better, Sasuke," Kakashi's voice said. "Do that again, but do it faster."

Feeling mildly stunned, Sasuke did his best to obey, and again the pain diminished a little more.

" _Good_ ," Kakashi said. "Now stand up, and perform a series of fireballs as fast as you can."

This time not even taking the time to breathe, Sasuke just did so. Each one came more smoothly and even quicker than the one before it until by the twelfth there wasn't a whisper of pain traveling along his nerves.

And when he looked up at Kakashi, breathing hard, the man was smiling.

"Excellent. Come here. Let's work on something with a little more real-world application."

 **~*o0o 0o0 o0o*~**

Two days later, Kakashi seemed satisfied with Sasuke's progress on various levels. The boy, worked harder than ever by his guardian, developed enough of an appetite he filled out a little more. His control improved dramatically, and thanks to partnering only with Kakashi his scores spiked.

The downside, of course, was that he couldn't use Poison while bound to Kakashi. Since it had been two days since his last dose before switching Controllers to Kakashi, he was starting to feel the effects of withdrawal again. All he could do was hope Kakashi wouldn't notice.

He hadn't seen much of the other students during this intensive training, so after morning classes and a quick lunch, he headed to the sparring arenas to catch up with his friends. He found Gaara and Suigetsu immediately, talking with the three girls Sakura, Ino, and Hinata.

"Hey, beautiful!" Suigetsu greeted him, draping an arm around Sasuke's shoulders. "Where have you been? Still Kakashi- _sensei_ 's prisoner, I see?"

"For only another day or two," Sasuke confirmed.

"Well, you're just in time to watch the most epic threesome you've ever seen!" Suigetsu exclaimed.

Sakura and Ino both started laughing, and Hinata blushed.

"What he means," Ino said, still chortling, "is that he, Gaara, and Hinata are all going head to head with me, Sakura, and Naruto."

That would definitely be something to see. Even as that thought crossed his mind, Naruto came trotting up to the group.

"Good! You're all here. Oh, Sasuke! Just in time. We're about to have the first three-way contest this year. You just sit back and watch, we're gonna knock your socks off! C'mon, you guys, while the mat's free."

A little nonplussed by Naruto's rather impersonal greeting (accompanied by not a single touch), Sasuke watched the six teens take to the sparring mat. The three Controllers took the hands of the three Coordinators, and Sasuke found his eyes go right to Naruto and Hinata. She was a full head shorter than he, so she fit in his arms perfectly. She blushed when the blonde embraced her.

Sasuke had the surprisingly uncharitable thought she looked blotchy and un-pretty when she flushed. And why did Naruto lean down to whisper something in her ear? _What_ did he whisper? Hinata blushed even deeper and giggled. A muscle in Sasuke's cheek twitched.

The three Controllers transformed simultaneously, and Sasuke blinked to see Naruto take his gun form. It looked somewhat unwieldy on Hinata's petite frame, but the second the change was complete she tapped her feet on the mat and sprang into the air.

The three barrels of the gun instantly glowed with an upwelling of _chakra_ , the silvery-lavender of Hinata's. Six short bursts sent three blasts toward Gaara, three toward Suigetsu while Hinata executed a perfect spin in the air to scatter the shots in a way that would make them difficult to avoid.

 _What the hell?_ Sasuke thought venomously, eyes narrowing. _When the hell did the_ dobe _learn to do that?_ The attack was flawless, their combined control obvious.

Suigetsu deflected the shots by spinning Ino, and Sakura protected Gaara with her _chakra_ shield, but Hinata and Naruto kept them both on the defensive with continued bursts from the gun. Unfortunately, Sakura's perfect shield left Gaara's hands free to perform the necessary seals.

Sasuke recognized the _jutsu_ for his relentless sand attacks, and the enormous gourd on his back opened. Sand poured out, passing through Sakura's shield and flying through the air, forming a huge fist as it went. Hinata paid it no mind, her hands forming a seal of her own. While she worked, Naruto shocked Sasuke yet again.

The spikes on the gun all lifted off and formed a grid on both sides of her and behind her as well. The space between the spikes was filled with glittering red _chakra_ , an impressive shield. And seemingly impenetrable, as well. The sand ricocheted harmlessly off.

Grinning in obvious excitement, Suigetsu leaped up. The length of the spiked chain grew in his hands, and he whipped it vigorously toward Hinata. She, however, completed her hand seal, and this time the word 'shock' didn't do it justice. The gun in her hands changed lightning fast to the black sword of Naruto's first form. The spike shields, however, remained firmly affixed to her sides and back.

 _Impossible,_ Sasuke thought dimly. A Controller couldn't transform but keep elements of his different form. It was simply impossible.

But as Hinata landed on the mat and danced forward with brilliant speed and grace, Sasuke had to reconcile what he knew with what he saw. Naruto _had_ somehow blended his two forms. In two days he'd gone from average to defying logic.

Hinata swept the black sword forward, and Suigetsu grinned again as the spiked chain wrapped around it. Hinata, however, performed a quick one-handed _jutsu_ that Sasuke recognized. Unique to the Hyuga clan, her silvery _chakra_ traveled up the sword and to the spiked chain, arcing up the length to Suigetsu's hand.

Sasuke winced. It would be a painful sensation, her attack. Indeed, his friend yelped and dropped Ino, their link severing.

That was when Gaara moved. Sakura's shield still protecting him, he drove forward with the two _katana_ swords. They clashed with Naruto's, and with that tremendous speed Hinata performed that one-handed _jutsu_ again. Sakura, however, harmlessly deflected it away with her superior shield. Gaara pressed this physical attack, his two blades locking with Hinata's one, sending showers of sparks.

Naruto was not the only one to have learned a new trick, though. Sakura's shield suddenly changed shape, going from spherical to spiny. These spines of pure _chakra_ abruptly drove forward in a straight line faster than Sasuke could blink. The front being the only place without Naruto's shields of spikes, Hinata leaped upward to avoid it. Sakura's spines instantly curved to keep pace with her.

In the blink of an eye, Naruto transformed to his gun form. The three barrels powered up, but instead of releasing three short bursts, a steady stream shot from them to collide with ground-shaking force with Sakura's jade green _chakra_. It flung both Coordinators backward, but they both regained their feet with easy grace.

 _She's holding her own against Gaara,_ Sasuke thought, feeling stunned. _He's the best Coordinator in The Academy, and she's holding her own._

A hand on his shoulder made him jump. He'd been so focused he didn't see or hear Neji's approach. He spared his friend only the barest glance, eager not to miss a second of this mock battle.

"She's doing well," Neji said, sounding surprised.

Which wasn't so shocking. Neji didn't like Hinata, but Sasuke didn't understand his hostility toward his younger cousin. He knew it had something to do with the clan's structure, but he'd never wanted to pry.

"You need to come over tonight," Neji went on. "You're probably already feeling sick."

Slightly annoyed by the unwanted distraction, Sasuke held up his left hand. "I can't. I'm bound to Kakashi, remember? He'd know the instant something changed." The only thing he wanted at the moment was to jump into the fray and join his friends.

"What are you going to do without it?" Neji pressed.

Slight annoyance changed to irritation. "I've been fine for four days, haven't I?" he almost snapped.

If Neji said anything more he didn't hear. All his attention riveted to the ongoing battle.

Ino and Suigetsu had reformed their bond, and Suigetsu looked more than a little pissed. Without forming a seal, his violet _chakra_ abruptly blazed all around him in a cloud, leaping down the entire length of the spiked chain. Sasuke's body tensed; his friend had finally gotten serious. Though the platinum blonde could have a lackadaisical attitude about everything, unleashing this particular ability meant he was done playing around.

And what an ability it was. Now swathed in violet light, the spiked chain instantly developed long whip-like blades of pure _chakra_. Suigetsu spun the chain as it grew longer and longer, the two ends acting independently and never entangling with each other.

Hinata reacted first, displaying that unusual aggressiveness. She took four lunging steps forward before springing up into the air, Naruto switching quickly back to his _katana_ form. The blade immediately began to glow silvery lavender with Hinata's _chakra_ , and she made a blinding-fast series of arcs and sweeps in the air. Shimmery curtains of her _chakra_ fell with incredible speed over the battlefield, aimed at both her opponents.

Harmless though it may look, Sasuke knew this was an extension of the Hyuga clan's special ability. Those strands of _chakra_ would deliver a deadly painful and potent blow if they connected, capable of disrupting its victim's _chakra_ flow.

Suigetsu and Gaara both knew it. They attacked _chakra_ directly, so Gaara had Sakura drop her shield and protected himself with his sand. Suigetsu, never ceasing to spin the chain, launched himself into action. He lunged upward, nimble and agile as he avoided each of her attacks, forming a familiar seal.

The very fireball Sasuke had taught him a few years back.

Practically holding his breath, Sasuke leaned up on tiptoes as if to get closer. Suigetsu inhaled a deep breath, chest swelling. Flame burst from his lips, but instead of racing toward Hinata it blazed down the spiked chain to mix with the _chakra_ enhancements already shimmering around the length.

Only then did they burst from the chain as Suigetsu swung it twice more, scattering in all directions. The force of the combined _jutsus_ lit the air itself on fire, traveling faster and faster toward his opponents. The formidable attack forced both the other Coordinators into the defensive, but Sasuke felt another pulse of surprise toward Hinata.

She didn't dodge. Instead she formed another rapid seal and used the _katana_ to deflect every single burst of fire and _chakra_. Naruto's spiked shield remained in place, so she defended from the front, above, and below. She was so fast not a single burst got through her defense.

Gaara chose that moment to send his persistent sand _jutsu_ at Suigetsu, the sand forming a massive fist to strike at him from behind. Sasuke reflexively winced, having been on the receiving end of that attack more than once.

Suigetsu didn't so much as flinch. Spinning in midair, he brought his hands together and made a slashing motion with the chain, flicking both ends forward in opposite directions. The chain tore through the sand, sending particles everywhere.

Apparently perfectly willing to go with an ever-changing flow, Hinata landed lightly on the mat. Naruto changed forms once again, and she powered all three barrels with alarming amounts of their combined _chakra_ before releasing the attack. Gaara reformed the sand, that giant fist moving to back up her attack.

Which prompted her to leap back up, whirling and sending the exact same attack down at him.

Ino's coils closed around Suigetsu, her pink _chakra_ shimmering between them to protect her Coordinator from the blast. The sheer power knocked them both back. Sakura instantly reformed her _chakra_ shield, but while she deflected the blow, the power behind it also knocked Gaara back. The redhead almost lost his feet. Hinata pressed her advantage, Naruto changing instantly to the sword, and plunged straight down at Gaara.

Against a lesser Coordinator, it might have worked. She was so fast she appeared to have the upper hand, even when his sand reformed to strike up at her. She used the sword with those incredibly fast slashes to cut the sand away, now within striking distance of Gaara.

A persistent _jutsu_ was hardly the reason Gaara was such a dangerous opponent at his age. He simply vanished. Of course, Sasuke knew it was combination of using _chakra_ to fuel his speed and being fast naturally, but Gaara reappeared right above her. Hand seal already complete, sand covered his raised fist and it glowed bright green as he slammed it down.

Not even she was fast enough to completely avoid that attack, and she went flying. Sasuke winced as she hit the mat, her link to Naruto severed. She looked dazed as the blonde Controller quickly helped her sit up with an arm around her shoulders, clearly asking if she was all right. When she sat up on her own, Naruto threw Gaara a huge grin.

"Fuck, that was awesome!"

Naruto's friend Kiba jumped up onto the mat. "Please let me in on this. Gaara, you and me?"

"Hell, yeah!" Naruto exclaimed. "You two against me and Hinata! Suigetsu, c'mon, you gotta get in on this action too!"

As they squared off again, Sasuke felt a weird sensation coil in his gut. He couldn't define it, but he didn't like it. Another Controller with whom he'd never sparred asked him politely for a match, but Sasuke absently declined. Then he rose and left the sparring halls. Anger, a low and distracting burn, simmered within him.

 _Why is that idiot so eager to spar with someone else?_ He'd grown accustomed to the blonde's fixation. It might annoy him, but it was somehow . . . comforting. It provided Sasuke with something he'd never experienced and apparently wanted (liked).

He hissed. _Am I actually jealous?_

How . . . unattractive.

Without stopping, he stormed through the halls to the instructors' offices. He shoved the door open without knocking. Iruka, who'd been sitting on the desk leaning over Kakashi, straightened and smiled at Sasuke.

"You're here early in the day. Students usually enjoy watching the matches."

"I was," Sasuke said, giving the pair appraising looks. He'd thought he wanted to talk to Kakashi, but seeing Iruka changed his mind. "Can I talk to you? Alone?"

"Of course," Iruka said, rising. He paused only long enough to drop a kiss on the bridge of Kakashi's nose before striding around the desk. Then with an arm around Sasuke's shoulders, he guided him out of the office and down the hall. "What's on your mind, little one?"

He, Sasuke thought distractedly, was the only person from whom Sasuke tolerated (liked) endearments. Now that he had Iruka's attention, he suddenly didn't know what to say. So he asked the first random thing that popped into his head.

"Why did you decide to bond with Kakashi?"

Looking only momentarily thrown, Iruka smiled softly. "It was a combination of things, really. I suppose I was flattered by his fixation on me, the intensity of his focus. And it helped that he was charming. And the best Controller of our year. His scores were so much higher than anyone else's he really stood out."

"Did he partner with other Coordinators a lot?"

"Of course," Iruka confirmed. "We both did. The Academy's philosophy is, the more Shinobi with whom you partner, the more you learn from each other. The more you learn, the better prepared you are to bond at the end of the year." He shrugged a little. "But he always came back to me, and I to him. As I mentioned before, I knew after a few months I would bond with him."

"Did he flirt with you?" Sasuke blurted. The question made him want to cringe, but he decided it was a good thing the connection between his brain and mouth seemed to have shut down. Didn't give him enough time to think when he actually really wanted to know.

Iruka chuckled. "Incessantly."

"Did he flirt with other Coordinators?"

This question made Iruka give him a long look before replying in a careful tone, "Not particularly." Then, even gentler, "What's bothering you, Sasuke?"

Suddenly uncomfortable, Sasuke shrugged off the arm still lightly holding him. Opening up was never easy, and this in particular just made him feel foolish. _S_ _orry Iruka, I just wanted to whine that I'm jealous._ Grimacing, Sasuke folded his arms across his waist. _Yeah fucking right._

"Just . . . curious, I guess." Which sounded really fucking lame.

The pair hadn't stopped walking, and Sasuke blinked to realize Iruka had led him right to Kakashi's instructor suite. The older Coordinator took him inside and sat him down on the plush sofa. The suite was a hell of a lot bigger than the student dorms. A fact which Sasuke found vaguely unfair. Iruka knelt in front of him and put his hands on Sasuke's knees, squeezing lightly.

"Talk to me."

Sasuke resisted the urge to bite his lip. "It's nothing."

"Clearly it isn't," Iruka insisted. "Whatever it is, I'm here for you."

Propping his elbows on his knees, Sasuke buried his face in his hands. Even though he wanted Iruka's advice—or at least insight—Sasuke found himself choking on the words. So he picked a different topic, but one which was far more relevant.

"Have you and Kakashi talked to Tsunade about Itachi?"

Iruka blinked, looking understandably taken aback by the change of subject. Then he blinked and recovered. "Only a little. I think he's hoping she'll forget about her idea of using you to draw Itachi out of hiding."

Sasuke peered at him silently for a few moments. "You don't want me to do it, either."

Snorting softly, Iruka stood up only to sit beside him. "Of course not. I'll never want you to do anything dangerous. But I understand your needing to do this."

Standing, Sasuke started to pace. Then, once more without thinking, "Naruto told me he wants to kiss me." Then closed his eyes and grimaced. _Fucking hell, he's going to think I'm worse than a PMSing girl._

Iruka looked suspiciously like he wanted to smile or laugh. Or both. "Did that bother you?"

"Yes," Sasuke snapped, so quickly it was obviously a lie. Then he rubbed a hand over his face. "I don't know. Maybe. At first." He was still trying to get used to the idea of Naruto wanting more than a partnership.

"Only at first?" Iruka prompted, voice kind.

"Now he's flirting with some other Coordinator," Sasuke all but spat, "and I don't know if I'm special to him or if he just wants to have fun."

"And you?" Iruka asked. "Do you just want to have fun, or do you _want_ to be special to him?"

A question which had never occurred to Sasuke, so something he'd not considered until just this second. He blinked. In a moment of total honesty, he realized he _liked_ the thought of being special to Naruto, that was true. Partly because the attention flattered him, partly because he liked how _normal_ it was, and partly because . . .

He liked Naruto.

That epiphany startled him.

"I like him," he said without thinking.

Iruka immediately smiled. "I'm glad. He's a good kid. And would you like to hear a little secret?"

Sasuke hesitated before nodding.

"You are special to him," Iruka said. "Very special. And if you want his affection as well as his attention, I sincerely doubt you will have to encourage him much."

The words sent an odd little thrill through Sasuke, and he wanted to ask how Iruka knew. Instead, he gave the older Coordinator a wan smile. "Thank you, Iruka. I'm sorry I dragged you away from Kakashi."

"Don't apologize," Iruka said, rising and giving Sasuke a quick embrace. "I think you should head to bed early tonight. You look awfully pale."

A problem only one thing would fix. Sasuke just nodded and made his way out of his guardian's room. _Encourage him, huh?_ In retrospect, that might not actually achieve the results he wanted. Especially since he couldn't seem to figure out what that was.


	11. Imbalances

**A/N:** Not my longest chapter, but a lot happens.

* * *

 **Needs and Distractions**

For the fifth morning in a row, Naruto woke a good two hours before classes started and raced through showering and getting ready to go. Then he immediately logged onto the student Net to look up a few pertinent scores. And broke into a shit-eating grin.

He was now in the top ten. Number seven, to be exact. At the beginning of the year, he'd been in the bottom one hundred. Sakura was number two, beaten out by Temari for the top spot.

Then he pulled up the Coordinator scores. Gaara was still unchallenged as number one, but Hinata had worked her way up into the number two spot. Naruto felt a burst of pride toward the shy girl. She may not be the most social of the Coordinators, but he knew she worked her ass off. And Sasuke had improved, too. He'd gone from number six to number four.

 _We're both doing better. Guess it was a good idea after all, mixing up our partnering._ He grinned to himself.

"Hey, man," Kiba called groggily, "you goin' ta go practice with Tsunade- _sensei_?"

"Yep!" Naruto confirmed.

The wild-haired dog lover shambled out of bed. "Wait," he said, covering a wide yawn. "I'll come with you."

"I'm gonna go ahead. Hurry and join when you're ready!" So saying, he bolted out of the dorm and sprinted across the grounds to the sparring wing.

For days now, he'd met up with Tsunade first thing in the morning. She had a way of teaching that just made everything seem so brilliantly clear. She was the most powerful Coordinator he'd ever seen, and when he linked up with her it felt as though he could do anything.

She was waiting for him, and she smiled when she saw him, arms folded under her ample chest. "Finally, brat. I have some good news for you. The Hokage decided to host the bonding ceremony at the end of the year. I told him we had remarkable talent this year, and he wants to meet them."

"What!" Naruto exclaimed, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Really? I can't believe it! Now I can show him my stuff!"

Tsunade snorted. "Try not to get too ahead of yourself. You've got a long way to go until then. You ready to start working with your third form?"

Taking a deep breath, Naruto nodded. They'd done so only once before, but despite the destructive power of his third form, Tsunade had handled it with skill. Not _ease_ , she'd admitted to him. But she'd taught him a meditative exercise to help improve his overall control, something she'd promised would help with that dangerous form.

The Director held out her hands to him. She was too tall for him to embrace from behind, but for this transformation, it wasn't needed. They simply linked hands and began.

o0o

Kiba, Sakura, and Ino had been quick to capitalize on their friendship with Naruto when they discovered his private lessons with Tsunade. The Director had surprised Naruto by easily agreeing to them joining these training sessions. Not only had she helped each of them develop new _jutsu_ , she'd helped every one of their scores improve. Naruto liked her a helluva lot.

During their first session she'd asked, "You already have a Coordinator picked out, don't you?"

"Yep!" Naruto had replied.

She'd nodded. "You remind me a little of Kakashi when he was your age. Instantly developed a fixation, and even though he partnered with just about the entire class, he never lost it. I like your conviction. So who've you chosen?"

He had a feeling she already knew that, just wanted to hear him say it. "Sasuke," he'd told her, "Uchiha."

She'd pursed her lips as she studied him. "When Kakashi told me of his teaching method, and that you had your eye on Sasuke, I started watching you both. I have to say, you two have very . . . well, how shall I say it. Your _chakras_ clash. They always will, I think. That said, I'll only as this once: are you sure Sasuke's the one you want?"

"Yes." He'd said it in a clipped, firm tone structured to sound neither defensive nor airy. He was dead serious about his choice.

"All right," she'd said with another nod. "The pair of you will have unique challenges ahead of you, because you both struggle with the same thing. It means you won't complement each other. You won't have his perfect control to balance out your lack of it. I'm not saying these things to discourage you, I'm only saying them to warn you. You will have to work _very_ hard to improve, otherwise the Shinobi program will have a difficult time accepting your decision to bond with him. His Sharingan makes him very desirable to the Imperial Army, and so far you don't really stand out."

Then she winked. "I'm going to help you change that."

The first thing she'd done was introduce him to four Coordinators and have him partner with them in quick succession. One of them, Hinata, he already knew but had never worked with. All four of the Coordinators had excellent control but couldn't match his _chakra_ levels. It turned out to be a very good thing.

It encouraged his partners to rely on his strength, which in turn allowed Naruto to focus more on honing control and not so much powering up destructive attacks.

Of these four, Hinata suited him the best. She turned out to be extremely proficient with both his first and second forms, which was a novelty. Most could only handle one and not the other. It was because of her skill and Tsunade's excellent teaching that Naruto developed (with incredible speed) the ability to incorporate parts of his second form into his first.

"Only one-tenth of all Controllers with multiple forms can do that," Tsunade had told him, her face calm but eyes proud.

Naruto couldn't help asking, "Can Kakashi- _sensei_?"

She chuckled. "Yes. But of the last forty Controllers with at least two forms to enter The Academy, he was the only one. Now he's one of two." She winked.

The hardest part of the rigorous training was being separated from Sasuke. As two days turned into four, he started to worry about his Coordinator. He tried not to, reminding himself Gaara and Suigetsu would take care of the raven.

Even so, as he finished his fifth morning with Tsunade, he promised to himself he would find Sasuke at lunch. He needed to remind the other teen of his continued devotion. And he really, _really_ couldn't wait to partner up with him again.

When Tsunade unraveled their link, she shook her head. "You sure learn quickly once you apply yourself. I'm thinking about asking Iruka if he and Kakashi wouldn't mind sparring with me as your Coordinator."

"Oh, hell yes!" Naruto exclaimed. "Please!"

Chuckling, she ruffled his hair. "All right. I'll try to set up a time before Iruka leaves."

"All right!" Naruto crowed. "I can't wait!" Waving, he bolted out of the sparring room.

o0o

Feeling rather nervous, Sasuke paced down the halls of The Academy's central building until he reached the infirmary. Shizune's assistant, who ran the infirmary most of the time, had sent him a message to come down. Trying to convince himself it was nothing, he walked in.

Kabuto looked up from the desk in the office, and he stood up. He was a young man, maybe only twenty five. Sasuke didn't know much about him except he'd entered The Academy like all hopeful Shinobi. Only, he hadn't bonded at the end of his year despite high overall scores.

"Ah, Sasuke," he said. "Come in." He smiled. "Don't look so nervous. Shizune just asked me to do a little blood work to make sure there weren't any complications with your injuries."

Nodding, Sasuke followed him into a small exam room and hopped up onto the bed. Due to his severe case of hemophilia, he honestly should have expected this. "I'm current on plasma treatments," he offered, obediently taking off his shirt when Kabuto gestured he should do so.

"Yes, I saw that in your file," Kabuto agreed, putting one hand on Sasuke's chest and the other on his back to make him sit up straight. "Given the nature of this school, Shizune thought we shouldn't take any chances." He kept a kindly expression as he put a stethoscope to Sasuke's upper back. "Deep breaths."

Sasuke obeyed, grateful the young medic had warmed the instrument first. After a few seconds of listening to both heart and lungs, Kabuto took Sasuke's blood pressure. And frowned slightly.

"A little low for someone your age. Have you been feeling dizzy lately? Fainted?"

"No," Sasuke replied. Unless being almost knocked out by Naruto's crappy _chakra_ control counted.

Nodding and seeming distracted, Kabuto tied a rubber band around Sasuke's arm just above the elbow and prepared a syringe. Sasuke looked away while the medic drew his blood, then Kabuto removed the rubber band and put a swab on the puncture site.

"Hold that for a few minutes while I go run the sample," he said. "Barring anything unexpected, you should be good until your physical in three weeks." Another mellow smile.

"Thanks," Sasuke said, pulling his uniform shirt back on.

While he waited, Sasuke stared blankly at the wall in front of him. His mind wandered over this and that, finally settling on his talk with Iruka yesterday. Kakashi had promised he would take the band off today, so would his interaction with Naruto resume as usual? Part of him hoped Naruto had found someone he wanted more than Sasuke so he would stop with his ridiculous assertions that they would bond at the end of the year.

Then Sasuke could focus on Controllers better suited to him.

The door opened and Kabuto walked back in with a digital chart. He looked troubled. "The clotting factor levels in your blood are satisfactory," he said a little slowly, "but I'm concerned about something else. There isn't any easy way to ask this, and please remember anything you tell me will be held in confidence, but are you using any illicit substances?"

Sasuke felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. "Why would you ask that?" he managed to ask in a relatively normal tone.

"Your blood work shows several hormone imbalances associated with the beginning stages of withdrawal," Kabuto said, his voice soft and very gentle. "I'm under no obligation to discuss anything you tell me, not even with Kakashi- _sensei_. I'm asking you because, these levels indicate you're already feeling adverse side effects, and they will increase in severity over the next twelve hours."

Feeling paralyzed, Sasuke could only stare at him. _I could have taken a dose tonight, then this would have gone away. Why couldn't you have waited one more day to call me in here?_ Feeling jerky, like a marionette with a particularly poor controller, he nodded.

Kabuto straightened. "The addictiveness of the substance you're using seems to be very high," he said. "I may not be obligated to tell anyone, but I am obligated to help. I don't want to see any student relying on chemicals, and I'm well aware of the past that must have driven you to this." He turned to the stocked medicine cabinet and extracted a few things. "I'm going to make you a drug cocktail that will help with the symptoms of withdrawal. And I will keep your secret with one condition. You come back here every three days for another dose, and you never use whatever you're using again."

Not quite able to believe what he was hearing, Sasuke searched the young man's eyes for a trick. "Why are you doing this?"

Kabuto gave him a kindly smile. "Because I, too, have a really crappy past that drove me to make some pretty crappy decisions. Someone helped me back then, and it saved my life. I understand what you're going through, on some level." His smile turned rueful. "And I really hate to see students with so much promise throw their futures away. A lot of people have their eyes on you, and I'd like to help you succeed."

Overwhelmed, Sasuke felt himself start to tremble. "What's in this drug cocktail?"

"Basically, I'm just going to mix up some hormone boosters with a huge dose of key vitamins, a mild steroid to boost your body's hormone production, and a pretty serious painkiller. It will also be safe to take with anti-nausea medication." He started preparing it in a single bottle. Once done, he filled a syringe.

Then faced Sasuke. "The only side effect will be a significantly increased appetite. Just from looking at you, you're a good twenty pounds underweight anyway, probably more. And I should think you'll only need to do this for about three weeks before your body recovers."

Sasuke watched him inject the serum, then the man put a small Band-Aid over the small puncture site. The room practically spun his emotions were so tangled up.

"Why aren't you going to tell Kakashi?" he demanded when Kabuto gestured he could go.

The medic smiled again. "As long as you keep that promise never to use again, there's no need. What good would it do? He might even insist you go into rehab again. With my help, you won't need that. So take care of yourself, and this will be our little secret." He reached out and cupped Sasuke's chin, stroking his thumb over the teen's jaw.

Surely, this was too good to be true. _I was already trying to think of a way to quit, anyway,_ Sasuke thought, getting up and hoping he wasn't visibly shaking. "Thank you," he said, voice weak and faint.

Kabuto gave him a strange little smile before holding the door open for Sasuke. He left the infirmary, and since there were still forty minutes before classes started, he ran right back to his room and slammed the door shut. The dorm was quiet, and he felt a pang of disappointment. He could really use Gaara's embrace right about now. He hadn't seen a whole lot of his roommate, both of them working harder than ever this last week.

The repaired comm panel by the door caught his eye, a blue light blinking to announce a waiting message. Instantly, his whole body tightened in dread. All thoughts about drugs and Kabuto went right out of his mind as he stared, frozen, at the panel.

 _Go tell Kakashi,_ a small voice whispered to him. _Watch it with him there. If it's Itachi, you don't want to do this alone._

Trembling like a new fawn, Sasuke reached over and logged into his student account to play the message. Itachi's face immediately appeared on the screen.

 _"Hello, little brother,"_ his almost raspy voice said, grating on Sasuke's ears. _"I'm told you aren't taking very good care of yourself. You're far too thin and pale. Make sure you're resting enough and eating properly. Nothing is more important to me than your well being. I've been watching your scores, and I see they're rapidly improving. But of course they are. You're_ my _little brother."_ His red, red eyes flared with pride and avarice. _"I cannot wait to see you. It won't be long now. Take care of yourself, Sasuke."_

The screen went dark.

Sasuke's stomach, already in knots, went completely sour. Bolting to the bathroom, he barely had time to flip up the lid on the toilet before his gut turned itself inside out and he vomited. It passed somewhat quickly since there was nothing to expel, and Sasuke rinsed his mouth before staring at his reflection in the mirror.

 _How the fuck could he know any of that? How could he have access to my medical files and student files?_ More than incredulity, however, he felt rage. His hands tightly gripped the edge of the counter as his eyes squeezed shut, trying to breathe normally and not put his fist through the mirror.

 _I hate you so much._ His rage was so potent, so helpless, he felt tears build up behind his eyes. His body felt numb, and he slumped down to the floor, folding his legs to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. It gave him the perfect alcove to hide his face, and it prevented him from destroying everything he could see.

o0o

Loving Kakashi Hatake wasn't the easiest experience of Iruka's life, but it was probably the most rewarding. The man was complicated like all human beings, but he was effortlessly charming. He was also a closet romantic, and he was definitely the most attentive lover Iruka could imagine.

And he was an incredible kisser.

Kakashi broke their kiss to peer up Iruka, who was currently straddling his hips. "What are you thinking about?"

Iruka playfully nipped his jaw. "What a wonderful lover you are," he replied. Like all men, Kakashi needed to hear the one he loved compliment him, and Iruka had no qualms.

"Oh?" Kakashi said, grabbing two handfuls of Iruka's ass. "Wanting a demonstration right now?"

Grunting, Iruka grabbed his hands and pushed them away. "We're in your office." With some regret, he picked himself up off Kakashi's lap.

Only to be yanked back down. Kakashi fused their mouths together in an eating kiss, sucking on and nipping at Iruka's tongue. It went on and on until Iruka yanked his head back to gasp in a deep lungful of oxygen.

"Keep that up," he threatened, "and you're sleeping on the couch."

Unrepentant (nothing unusual there), Kakashi nuzzled his throat. "Would you really do that? The only person who loves my skills in the bedroom more than me is you."

Unable to help a soft laugh, Iruka shoved his head away. "Self-satisfied brute. Why aren't you in the infirmary? I thought you wanted to be there for Sasuke's follow-up this morning."

"Nah, the kid gets uncomfortable if I hover too much," Kakashi said, fastening his mouth to Iruka's earlobe.

A shudder ran up the entire length of Iruka's body. He was getting hopelessly turned on, and his ability to protest would rapidly diminish if he didn't stop this silliness. They were in his lover's _office_. At _school_. Where _students_ could walk in at any moment.

So why was he grabbing Kakashi's face to kiss him again? Why wasn't he pushing away the hand working up under his shirt?

Something on Kakashi's comm panel warbled. The taller man stopped at once, frowning down at it. The look on his face brought Iruka alert instantly.

"What?" he asked softly.

With his incredible strength, Kakashi gently lifted Iruka off him, setting him on the desk. "I set that warning so I'd know if Sasuke got another message from Itachi."

Iruka leaped to his feet. " _What_? Then this means he just received one?"

Kakashi stood up, taking Iruka's hand and pulling him out of the office to lock it up. "Worse," he said quietly. "It means Sasuke just listened to it."

"Shit," Iruka cursed, feeling very uncharacteristic anger well up inside him.

The pair all but ran to the student dorms, and Kakashi pressed the announcer on the small panel by door to Sasuke's room. The man only waited about five seconds for a reply before using his instructor's override to open the door and rush into the room.

"Sasuke?" he called.

Iruka could smell the sour, acrid tang of vomit, so he hurried to the bathroom. Sasuke was there, curled up on the floor. "In here," he said, dropping to his knees beside the boy and putting a hand on his arm. "Sasuke?"

The boy twitched and lifted his head, and Iruka was relieved to see no injuries. Neither were his eyes red to indicate he'd been crying, but he looked haunted. And when Iruka tried to embrace him, he pulled away. Iruka heard Kakashi playing the message, which made Sasuke grimace. When it was over and Kakashi entered the bathroom, the two adults shared a long look.

Sasuke stared at the wall. "How did he know, Kakashi?"

Iruka looked helplessly up at his lover.

"I don't know," Kakashi said, voice low, "but I _will_ find out."

His tone suggested his suspicions mirrored Iruka's own: was there someone here at the school watching Sasuke for Itachi? It was a chilling thought.

"I hate him," Sasuke whispered. He finally raised his head to meet Kakashi's gaze. "I want to go after him. Now. I can't wait, Kakashi. I have to kill him. I have to." He choked on the last two words, eyes closing. The bitter hatred etched into his countenance was matched only by the pain.

Iruka felt like his heart was breaking. He had a feeling what Sasuke wanted more than revenge was answers, but he also had a feeling Sasuke would never get the closure he so desperately needed. Kakashi moved to stand at Sasuke's other side and dropped a hand to rest on his head.

"All right, kiddo," he said softly. "I'll work out logistics with Tsunade. But we aren't going on a mission to kill him. We're going to take him into custody for questioning."

Sasuke looked up at him, ebony eyes glimmering in the dim light, bright with unshed tears.

Kakashi ruffled his hair. "And you aren't in this alone, all right? Iruka and I are right here, and I wager those friends of yours would be too, if you opened up to them a little more."

Iruka loved Kakashi just a little more. "That's right," he said, trying one more time to tug the boy into an embrace. This time, Sasuke let him. "We're right here."

After a few seconds, Sasuke pushed himself out of Iruka's arms and up to his feet. "I . . . I'm gonna go to class."

Neither adult protested, but Iruka really didn't like how dull Sasuke's eyes were. When the boy was gone, he looked at his lover. "You need to find ways to keep him busy," he said. "I've been watching Tsunade's lessons with Naruto, and she paired him up with different Coordinators of her choosing. Do the same for Sasuke. It'll be a good assignment, and it'll also take his mind off this.

"And," he said firmly, grabbing Kakashi's left hand, "partnering with only you isn't going to help him. He needs to work with students at his level."

Kakashi sighed, his only visible eye looking troubled. Then he grabbed the edge of his mask and pulled it down below his chin so he could smooch Iruka. "You're right. Let's go do a little research and find a few Controllers best suited to our boy."

Iruka smiled. "No need. I've already found four."


	12. Various Distractions

**A/N:** I'm an _avid_ cook, and I'm a really good cook, but I always wind up hurting myself! As I was chopping up vegetables the other night, I involved my thumb and now have a huge and DEEP gash! It's seriously slowing down my typing. T^T

And I've been fooling around writing this Peter Pan-esque story about Naruto and Sasuke instead of focusing. -_-

* * *

 **Keeping Busy**

At lunch, Kakashi called Sasuke to one of the private sparring rooms. His guardian was waiting for him, and Sasuke blinked to see two other students with him. He recognized both of them as Naruto's friends, but he only knew Kiba. Kakashi motioned him in and removed the band still around his wrist.

"I'm going to work intensively with you for the next week," the man said, nodding toward the two other teens in the room, "on a technique that's never been mastered by a single Coordinator. I think you have what it takes. Do you know Kiba and Shikamaru already?"

Kiba grinned at Sasuke, but the other Controller gave him a look best described as bored and neutral.

"Hi," was all he said.

"Hi," Sasuke returned, slightly uncomfortable. Then to Kakashi, "What technique?"

"Partnering with two Controllers at once," Kakashi replied.

Sasuke almost swallowed his tongue. "Two? At once? I thought . . . isn't that . . . impossible?"

Kakashi snorted. "Yes. It is impossible. Normally. I like challenging the rules. Thanks to Kiba's very rare form which doesn't require you to wield, I think it just might be possible. Why don't you link up with Shikamaru first. You two have never paired up, but based on your individual strengths and weaknesses, you should be a highly compatible match."

Perfectly willing to throw himself into anything that would distract him, Sasuke held out his hands to Shikamaru. The other teen took them and practically yanked Sasuke around, as rude an invitation to partner as Sasuke had yet received. A little nonplussed, Sasuke nevertheless opened himself up to initiate the link. Shikamaru transformed at once.

Now holding a long black quarterstaff, Sasuke studied the length. The surface felt much smoother than wood, but it was far lighter than metal. The staff was so matte black it reflected no light at all.

Kakashi nodded to Kiba. "Now, do the same with a second Controller."

Sasuke looked at Naruto's best friend, not at all sure about this. Linking up with a Controller felt like opening up a space within himself that had room for only one partner. Still, he held out the hand not holding the quarterstaff. Kiba took it and wrapped himself around Sasuke from behind.

"If we can pull this off," he all but purred in Sasuke's ear, "it will be the most awesome fucking thing The Academy's ever seen."

A sentiment with which Sasuke rather agreed, but he still had doubts. Even so, he gamely attempted to open himself up and initiate a second link. Like he'd expected, nothing happened. He couldn't even detect Kiba's _chakra_ to link up with.

 _"Geez, this is dumb,"_ Shikamaru said abruptly. _"There's no way a Coordinator can link up with two Controllers. It's just impossible."_

Sasuke looked helplessly at his guardian. "I don't know how," he admitted. "I can't sense Kiba now that I'm linked up with Shikamaru."

 _"I guess you could try linking up with us at the exact same time,"_ Shikamaru said, sounding like he didn't remotely care if it was a good idea or not.

Blinking, Sasuke relayed that to Kakashi.

Who frowned thoughtfully. "Hm. Well, actually, that could work. Go ahead and give that a try. Shikamaru, Kiba, your timing will have to be perfect if this idea is to have a chance."

Sasuke unraveled his link to Shikamaru. The two Controllers faced him, each holding one of his hands. Hesitating, not quite sure how to proceed, Sasuke glanced between them. Normally, a Coordinator reached out to a specific individual to initiate these links. _Maybe if I just sort of . . . hold myself open?_ Then maybe if he could sense both of them he could try channeling to them both at the same time.

Mind made up, Sasuke channeled his _chakra_ without a destination. It felt like preparation for a normal _jutsu_.

Kiba reacted first. "Okay, I can feel you. Shika?"

The slightly shorter teen nodded. "Yeah."

"On the count of three?" Kiba suggested.

Another nod, still with the bored expression. "Yeah."

"One."

Sasuke took a deep breath.

"Two."

He closed his eyes so nothing could distract him.

"Three."

Two different sets of _chakra_ grasping for him. Sasuke tried to accept both at the exact same second and initiate the link. Surprisingly enough, the trio fell into alignment as if they'd succeeded.

And perhaps unsurprisingly, the shock that rewarded his efforts left him completely winded. It felt like his _chakra_ channels had been turned into a giant sieve, and all his energy drained away. It was an immensely unpleasant sensation, and he felt himself sagging to his knees.

Neither Controller let go of him, the pair supporting him as their burgeoning link cut off.

"You okay?" Shikamaru asked, sounding almost concerned.

Right on top of Kiba's, "Shit! I actually felt myself transforming! If we could work on this some more, I think you could actually do it, Sasuke!"

Managing to clear away the growing cobwebs by shaking his head, Sasuke straightened. "Something happened midway through," he said with a pensive frown. "It felt like we started out right, but something changed."

Shikamaru nodded. "I think since none of us knew quite what to expect, we weren't paying attention. If we focus more, I think we could do it."

At this, Kakashi stepped in. "All right, I'm satisfied. The purpose of this exercise was to see if it could be done. I think Sasuke just proved he _could_ do it. We're going to switch tactics now. Kiba, Shikamaru, you two will take turns partnering with Sasuke for as long as he can maintain your link. I have a feeling once you three start working better together, you might just be able to do it. So go ahead and pair off however you like. I'll be your opponent."

"Awesome," Kiba said with a wide grin.

A sentiment with which Sasuke did not agree. In no way had he forgotten his last so-called spar with his guardian. Kiba wanted to go first, and neither Sasuke nor Shikamaru had any complaints.

Well, none that Sasuke voiced aloud. Kiba's unique form meant he would have to resort to melee attacks, which meant he would have to get closer to his guardian than he wanted. He shifted his thinking. _This attention he's giving me will just help me progress all the faster so I can go after Itachi._

For that end, he could endure.

~o0o~

Tsunade, Naruto had long decided, was amazing. Thanks to her incredible skill, Naruto was actually learning to control his third volatile form. Each time they linked up, he gained more confidence. With confidence came the daring to try new things, and with each new thing he tried the more skilled he became.

And the Director was quick to praise his growth.

"You're improving by leaps and bounds," she told him, grinning like a proud parent. "I don't know that we've seen such rapid growth in someone who started with such low numbers."

Naruto beamed her a million-watt smile. "Not even Kakashi- _sensei_?"

She chuckled. "Kakashi started out at the top of his class, so that's comparing apples to meat pie."

He pouted. Then straightened. "He's my personal goal. I want to defeat him!"

Looking amused, Tsunade folded her arms. "Why him?"

"Because he just started out brilliant," Naruto said, making a face. "It's not fair he gets to be the best without working hard for it!"

"Well," she said, tapping her chin, "Kakashi wasn't the most brilliant Controller The Academy's ever seen."

"What! Really? Who was?"

She gave him a funny look. "I would've thought you knew. Itachi Uchiha."

Feeling like the bottom had dropped out of his stomach, Naruto stared at the wall past her. _Oh. Right. Him_. It wasn't in his nature to hate people, let alone someone he'd never met. But that could be the only word strong enough to describe the level of his feeling toward that man.

"He can't be my goal," he said softly.

"Oh?" she inquired, voice a little gentler now. "Why is that?"

"Because I don't want to defeat him. I want him . . ." he trailed off, realizing he'd been about to say, _I want him dead._ That seemed far too hateful, despite how he felt. "Thrown away somewhere dark and hellish where he'll never escape or see the light of day again," he finished. Which didn't seem severe enough.

A strong hand squeezed his shoulder. "You aren't the only one." Then, "You really care about Sasuke, don't you?"

"Yeah." Then he gave her his trademark fox grin. "I'm gonna run. I want to get in some practice with a couple of my new friends."

"Have fun," she said, "and remember what I said about your third form. Don't be afraid to use it. The more you do, the better you'll get."

He gave her a half smile. "I'm not quite ready to use it with the other students. Not yet." He trotted to the door, throwing a wave over his shoulder. "But I will soon!"

Her chuckle followed him out.

First things first, Naruto sought out Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji. The former two were nowhere to be found, but Choji he found eating dinner with Sakura, Ino, and Hinata. Grinning, he plopped himself down with them.

"Hi, Naruto," Sakura said with a smile. "You done practicing with Tsunade- _sensei_?"

She really was, Naruto thought somewhat absently, a very pretty girl. "Yup! You four hurry up, let's go to the sparring arenas. I really wanna go head to head with Gaara and Suigetsu. Gaara somehow convinced that asshole Neji to spar with us, too. And I _really_ wanna kick his ass."

Sakura and Ino glanced at each other with a frown.

"Why don't you like him?" Ino asked.

"Have you _seen_ him?" Naruto demanded. "He's a prissy jerk. And he's rude to Hinata, which is just bullshit."

Hinata blushed. Then she handed him the cupcake on her tray. "He just wants me to be my best," she said softly.

Naruto swiped the cupcake. "He's just a jerk," he insisted. Remembering himself, he grinned at Hinata. "Thanks. I love sweets."

"Yanno, Sasuke's a great cook," Suigetsu's voice said.

Startled, Naruto looked up at one of his newest friends, eyes wide. "Wait, what? Sasuke can cook?"

"Hell yeah, he can!" the Coordinator said. "He makes the most sinful brownies anyone's ever tasted."

Naruto frowned. "I've never seen him eating sweets."

"Oh, he wouldn't," Suigetsu said. "Hates them, in fact. But he's such a sweetheart he bakes them for me and Jugo. We love 'em. Oh, have you met Jugo, Naru? My god, I've never introduced you. Some friend I am! Well, I'll fix that right away! C'mon, handsome. I want you to be my partner for our little free-for-all this evening!"

Across the table, Hinata opened her mouth and closed it without a sound.

"You guys done?" Naruto asked, rising.

"We've been done for an hour," Ino said. "Me and Sakura were making bets on how many plates of food Choji could eat without stopping."

Naruto snorted. "C'mon, then. Let's go!"

It took a little persuading to peel Choji away from his food, but Naruto managed. The friends headed to the sparring arena. When they arrived, Gaara and Neji were there waiting. Choji trotted ahead.

"Wanna partner with me?" he asked Gaara.

With a start, Naruto realized he hadn't yet seen Choji partner with anyone. His large-boned friend always snuck in practice when his friends weren't around. Eager to pair off against him, Naruto slung an arm around Suigetsu's neck.

"Sweet! Neji, you're getting your ass handed to you today."

The pale-eyed guy gave Naruto a look so condescending it felt like a physical thing. It put Naruto's back up, and he glared at the older teen. _What's the matter, asshole? Don't like that I'm getting closer to your friends? That I matter so much to Sasuke? Worried I might pull him out from under your thumb?_

Suigetsu, Gaara, Choji, and Naruto headed to one of the empty mats, and Naruto smirked to see a gathering of first years instantly congregate to observe. These mock-battles were getting a lot of attention from other students. Neji followed them with his Controller, a slim and short girl Naruto had seen but never met.

She was kind of cute, her chocolate-brown hair arranged in two buns on either side of her head. And though she had a sort of studious look she didn't seem like a snob. Which made Naruto wonder how she'd wound up bonded to Neji.

"Gun form," Suigetsu requested as Naruto took his hands and embraced him from behind.

"You got it," Naruto said with a grin.

The three Controllers transformed. Choji's form, though Naruto had seen it before, still managed to impress him. Unlike Naruto, he stressed defense. Gaara now held an enormous shield with a rounded face. It looked like a large half-sphere, and it covered most of Gaara's entire front. It wasn't entirely defensive, though. The shield was studded with what looked like little metal balls.

Tenten's form was significantly less . . . solid. She'd transformed into what appeared to be a long scroll, ones used in summoning _jutsus_. Longer than Neji was tall, she spiraled around him without him touching her. Wildly curious what she could do, Naruto powered up the barrels of his gun but did nothing more than that.

Suigetsu took the offensive. Channeling _chakra_ to his feet, he sprang high into the air. He fired all three barrels. Naruto's control had improved so much little _chakra_ was wasted, and Suigetsu combined it with his own. The three round shots lengthened into long spikes, two driving toward Neji and one toward Gaara.

Choji covered his shield form with his orange _chakra_ , harmlessly deflecting the blast away. This, Naruto thought, was probably the only defensive shield he'd ever seen more effective than Sakura's _chakra_ shield.

Neji simply vanished.

Less than a split second later, displaying dangerously remarkable speed, he appeared right behind Suigetsu with a kunai dagger in his hand. Naruto, however, had never been faster. Even so, he only barely managed to send the spikes off his barrel and connect them with his _chakra_ to form a shield.

 _"Shit, he's fast!"_ he grunted.

Suigetsu grinned. _"He is the best. Watch and learn."_

Pale violet _chakra_ rose from Suigetsu in blade-like tendrils. Naruto powered up his barrels again, deciding Neji deserved to be the first to witness a new attack. On the ground, Gaara observed them, appearing to be biding his time. More focused on kicking Neji's ass, Naruto didn't pay too much attention.

Neji landed, and his eyes went all weird.

 _"That's Byakugan,"_ Suigetsu warned. _"It's even better than Sharingan at detecting_ chakra _. We'll have a devil of a time getting the drop on him with that activated."_

Neji finally took one end of Tenten's scroll. He began to spin it around him, and it began to glow with the Controller's yellow _chakra_. A moment later, probably three dozen throwing stars and kunai suddenly flew at both Coordinators. The speed was incredible, and Naruto could see each one glowing with the pale lavender of Neji's _chakra_. He had a feeling they would deliver that potently dangerous Hyuga clan ability to disrupt _chakra_.

Now was as good a time as any. Gaara immediately formed his persistent sand _jutsu_ , and the sand protected him from the barrage. Naruto, however, powered his barrels further. Instead of three shots, however, a beam of angry red _chakra_ burst from the barrels. And rather than firing straight down at Neji together, they each angled in to a focal point.

The result was a sudden curtain of shimmering red that swept across the mat in a burning, destructive wave. Each one of Tenten's summoned weapons incinerated, and the force of the attack shattered Gaara's sand _jutsu_. And the speed with which Naruto attacked forced Neji to abandon the defensive. The scroll whipped around him, the space between the curls filling with Tenten's _chakra_.

Even her attempt at a shield was insufficient. It hurled the pair back so hard their link unraveled. Tenten stared up at him in shock.

"Oh, _man!"_ Suigetsu crowed. "I guess that's what you get for not taking us seriously, Neji!"

Neji's face contorted into an ugly snarl, and he grabbed Tenten's hands. She transformed, and Neji instantly vanished. This time, however, Naruto was prepared. The _chakra_ between the spikes of his shield wavered, going soft and liquid. The second Neji reappeared, Naruto thrust the spikes toward him.

Lightning quick, Neji let go of Tenten's scroll and formed a quick seal. Lavender _chakra_ blazed around his hands, and he made a series of rapid slashing motions. He literally cut through Naruto's _chakra_ , causing the spikes to scatter. Shield thus diverted, the older teen slashed down at Suigetsu while simultaneously completing the summoning _jutsu_ for Tenten's kunai and throwing stars.

Suigetsu, still wearing a manic and excited grin, didn't attempt to dodge. His own signature _jutsu_ was still active, and whips of violet _chakra_ lashed toward the older Coordinator. It forced Neji to defend, and Naruto instantly recalled his spikes. He linked them up with his _chakra_ and formed one great big spike, driving it right toward his opponent.

Neji seemed determined not to make the mistake of underestimating him twice. Instead of trying to deflect a more destructive _chakra_ , he vanished again. He reappeared high above them, twirling Tenten in a spiral all around him, free hand forming a quick seal. At least thirty kunai shot down toward Naruto and his Coordinator, this time burning bright yellow with Tenten's _chakra_. Lavender swirled within the yellow.

Naruto reformed his spiked shield in front of and on either side of Suigetsu, and his Coordinator made another seal to create more whips of his _chakra_. They lashed toward the summoned knives to slap them out of the air.

Only then did Naruto notice each knife was still connected to Tenten via an impossibly fine thread of her _chakra_. The kunai evaded Suigetu's _jutsu_ and continued toward him. Suigetsu didn't give up, but some of the kunai embedded themselves into Naruto's spike shield.

Then they exploded.

Technically, the _chakra_ wrapped around them burst. It felt like nothing Naruto had ever experienced. His shield unraveled, the spikes falling to the mat below. Neji immediately moved, and faster than Naruto could even blink he appeared right in front of Suigetsu. With those incredibly fast motions, he slashed through Suigetsu's whips of _chakra_ and slapped the flat of his palm against Suigetsu's wrist.

The younger Coordinator let out a choked grunting sound, and his sudden pain reverberated through Naruto. Before he could begin powering up his attack, their bond unraveled. The pair went down, and Naruto put an arm around Suigetsu's shoulders. The Coordinator clutched his wrist, breathing hard.

Anger boiled up in Naruto. He glared furiously at Neji, still hovering a good three meters off the ground. "What the fuck did you do that for?" An attack like that, though seemingly mild, would leave Suigetsu unable to use his hand to form seals for at least a week.

"If you're unprepared to get hurt during sparring," Neji said in an infuriatingly pompous tone, "you should go home. We're training to join the Imperial Army."

"And Suigetsu isn't your enemy!" Naruto growled, red beginning to tint his vision. "Sparring is supposed to help us get stronger, not be an opportunity to wound each other!" The last words were almost an incomprehensible snarl.

"It's fine, Naru," Suigetsu said. "Don't get so angry."

Naruto ignored him, a fine red mist surrounding him as he clenched his jaw until it ached. _I'm going to teach you a lesson, you fucking self-satisfied asshole._ His _chakra_ blazed along its channels inside him, so hot it hurt, and it only fueled his rage. Pouring it into the soles of his feet, he lunged.

To all watching, it seemed as if he vanished into thin air, leaving a burned impression in the mat.

Snarling, lips peeled away from his teeth, Naruto pulled his fist and slammed it down as hard as he could. _Chakra_ blazed around it in a seething cloud. For all his superiority, Neji almost didn't see it in time. Even so, he only managed to partly avoid the blow. It still clipped his upper arm, sending him flying. He did manage to land on his feet and maintain his link with Tenten.

She curled around him, reforming that yellow shield.

Naruto didn't give them time to regain their composure, appearing right above them and slamming his fist down once more. Neji started forming a seal, seeming to think Tenten was strong enough to stop the attack.

Blistering red _chakra_ tore through it more easily than a child shredding paper. Tenten let out a yelp as their link severed and she couldn't keep her transformed shape. Neji threw himself forward, and Naruto's fist slammed into the mat. The white-hot force instantly burned the springy material away, blasting a large crater in the floor.

And still Naruto launched himself after Neji. Only now did he seem to realize the danger.

"Stop!"

Blink. The impression of a hard blow. A cooling sensation.

Naruto looked up to see three instructors standing between him and Neji. Frightened students had plastered themselves against the walls, staring wide-eyed at Naruto. The pit in the floor was half as big as the entire mat. The Director and Assistant Director looked ready to bodily block him, Tsunade especially looking troubled. The third instructor, Program Director of the _jutsu_ specialization program, helped Neji to his feet. Naruto remembered Orochimaru- _sensei_ had graduated the same year as Tsunade.

Grimacing, Naruto slowly stood up. The back of his head and neck felt bruised, but he couldn't remember feeling the knock to snap him out of it. He couldn't ever recall ever coming so close to losing control.

"Come with me," Tsunade said. "Shizune, will you stay and make sure no other students are seriously injured?"

Meekly, Naruto followed her. Orochimaru fell into step beside her, and the pair led him to her large office. Tsunade sat at her desk, Orochimaru turned and leaned against it. His strange, golden eyes (rather serpent-like, giving him a very narrow face Naruto couldn't decide if was freaky or kind of attractive) appraised the teen for a few moments.

"Why were you so angry?" he said in a slightly raspy voice.

Naruto looked between the two. He knew they were part of a trio widely considered the three best Shinobi in the Imperial Army. Uncomfortable to say the least, he shrugged.

"I . . . I'd rather not say."

"Were you trying to prove you were better?" Tsunade demanded.

"Or was your motivation something more like jealousy?" Orochimaru added.

Folding his arms, Naruto gave them both a glare only a bit sulky. "No. I mean, sure. He's a total ass. But I wasn't jealous. What would I even be jealous of?" He gave Orochimaru a challenging look.

The man smiled, and it was definitely more freaky than attractive. "Of his relationship with Sasuke? The Academy has a board of instructors who monitor and approve all bonds between Shinobi, so it's already been brought to our attention you've singled him out. It's also been brought to our attention he doesn't seem to share your . . . zeal."

Now Naruto's glare was just plain anger. "Yeah fucking right. No way do you know what's in Sasuke's mind. We've become close, and we _will_ bond at the end of the year. Like hell I'm threatened by some prick like Neji."

Tsunade sighed. "Naruto, I need to know if this is going to happen again. You can't let your personal feelings turn a sparring match into an attempt to do real harm."

"What are you yelling at me for?" Naruto demanded, trying to keep his temper in check. "First of all, Neji started it by going after Suigetsu, and unlike me, he actually _did_ hurt him!"

Orochimaru chuckled, and it was a cold and dry sound. "A very childish argument."

So angry now he almost choked on it, Naruto couldn't even spit out the words to refute it.

Tsunade stood up. "Orochimaru, would you mind going back down and helping Shizune? We have quite a few rattled students down there."

Giving Naruto a very strange (hostile?) look, the tall and skinny instructor glided out of Tsunade's office. Naruto glared until the door closed. Then he looked back to the Director and wilted. She didn't look angry at all.

"I'm disappointed in you," she said quietly. "You have an incredibly destructive _chakra_ , Naruto. Of all people you should know better than to let your emotions run away from you like that. You could have killed Neji. You could have injured everyone in the arena."

He swallowed thickly, hanging his head. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

She moved around the desk and gripped his chin firmly, making him look up. "Why were you so angry?"

For long moments, Naruto's throat worked but nothing came out. There was no way he could tell her the truth of his motivation. But perhaps an abbreviated version would suffice.

"He . . . he's a total controlling asshole to Sasuke," he said. "I can't stand it. And I really can't stand people looking down on me."

Releasing him, Tsunade leaned back against the desk. "I know." Then she shook her head. "You have the potential to be the strongest Controller we've ever seen. But if you can't control yourself, you won't be allowed to bond at the end of the year. As punishment, no pairing up for the rest of the month. You'll spend all your free time practicing control and meditation exercises."

"The rest of the _month_?" Naruto practically whimpered.

She gave him a dry smile. "It's only two-and-a-half weeks. You'll survive. And you're also going to fix that huge mess you made in the sparring arena."

Deciding she could have been way less lenient, Naruto sighed softly and bowed his head. "Yes, _sensei_."

"Good. Now off to your room and study for the rest of the night. I expect to see you in one of the private practice rooms tomorrow after classes."

He trotted out. _She better punish that asshole, too._

~o0o~

Sasuke only aborted his headlong rush when he skidded to a halt in front of the infirmary. He dashed past the reception area, ignoring the nurse on duty. Only two rooms had occupants, and Sasuke bolted into one of them.

"Suigetsu?" he panted, stopping by the bed. "Are you all right? Kakashi told me what happened."

One of Suigetsu's arms was in a sling, but there were no bandages around his wrist. He grinned up at Sasuke, flinging his free arm around his friend's neck and yanking him down in a hug. "I'm fine, raven. I'll be outta here tomorrow morning."

"There won't be any permanent damage," said Neji's voice.

Bristling, Sasuke straightened to throw the older Coordinator a glare. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Reassuring Suigetsu there won't be any lasting side-effects," Neji said.

Sasuke's glare darkened. "And apologize?" he snapped.

Neji met his eyes, his expression cold. "Don't act like this, Sasuke. It's extremely unbecoming."

"Neji," Gaara said softly.

Sasuke hadn't even noticed him, sitting on the other side of the bed. He ignored his redheaded friend, drawing himself and taking two long steps toward Neji. "You know," he hissed, "I'm beginning to feel you aren't much of a friend."

The older Coordinator's countenance frosted over further. "And who put this stupidity in your head? That idiot Naruto?"

"He isn't an idiot," Sasuke growled. "What's wrong with you? When I told Suigetsu and Gaara I wanted to try quitting Poison, they supported me. You're the only one who seems to believe I not only can't, but I won't."

"Hey, guys, don't fight," Suigetsu said from the bed.

"What are you going to do when the nightmares start up again?" Neji said, voice flinty. "What you always do, of course. Come crawling to me, begging I take them away."

Sasuke actually found himself retracting his fist before Gaara was between them, gently pushing Sasuke back. He gave Neji an unreadable look.

"Maybe you should leave for now," he suggested.

Whirling, the older teen stalked out. Sasuke watched him, seething, until he was gone. Then he shook off Gaara's hand, looking at Suigetsu.

"Will you be all right?" he asked. "There's something I need to do."

Suigetsu gave him a somewhat weak smile. "I'm fine. Go. Unless this thing you need to do is kill Neji. I can't condone that."

Sasuke's lips twitched, mood lightened a little. "It's not."

"I'll stay with him," Gaara said.

"Thanks," Sasuke murmured, heading out of the infirmary. He didn't stop until he'd reached the student dorms, and paused in front of one of the doors before pressing the announcer chime.

The door opened ten seconds later. Naruto stood there, wearing only rumpled boxers and a baggy t-shirt. He broke into a bright smile. "Sasuke!"

"Is Kiba here?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto's face fell a bit. "No."

"Good." Pushing past him, Sasuke let himself in. "I wanted to talk to you."

A rather bemused-looking Naruto followed him. "What's wrong?"

Sasuke perched on the edge of the desk. "I just wanted to say thank you. For defending Suigetsu. I don't know what Neji's problem is. Attacking like that was a total dick move."

Naruto looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's probably my fault. I think Neji wanted to get me, but Suigetsu was closer."

A little surprised, Sasuke studied the blonde for a moment. Naruto was angry. The heat of it hung, a palpable miasma, around him. He looked down, kicking his legs against the desk. "I'm sorry he was such an ass," he offered.

A snort. "Why are you apologizing? You had nothing to do with it."

"It's my fault Neji doesn't like you."

"Uh, no it ain't," Naruto argued. "He's a big boy. He can decide all on his own who he likes and hates."

Grinding his teeth, Sasuke met sky-blue eyes again to glare. "That isn't what I meant."

Naruto moved across the space between them and perched next to him, so close their knees bumped. "Then what _did_ you mean?"

Sasuke hesitated. "He thinks you've put stupid ideas in my head."

"Oh?" Naruto inquired, his grin audible. "Like what?"

Shifting, Sasuke looked out the window and felt a strange peace settle over him. "Like, I don't need him," he murmured. It was a strange revelation.

"Oh?" Naruto said again.

Sasuke jumped, then squirmed when Naruto buried his face in the slightly shorter teen's neck. "Yeah," he whispered.

A shiver raced up his entire body when Naruto opened his mouth and nibbled lightly at his neck. His mouth traveled to the shoulder, just the lightest pressure with a little moisture from his tongue. It was an intimate touch Sasuke had often experienced, but never while not high. Another strange revelation. His heart started beating faster, and his stomach tightened.

"Naruto?" Faint.

"Yeah?" Husky.

To feel the word pressed against his skin made Sasuke shudder. "Will you . . ." he trailed off, then tried again. "I want you to kiss me."

Naruto sat up at once, his eyes bright and eager, but also somehow serious as if concentrating. "I'm glad," he said, standing up, "because I really wanna kiss you, too." He nudged his hips between Sasuke's knees and cupped his face.

Then their lips were touching. The contact was feathery and fleeting, Naruto pulling back immediately as if to gauge Sasuke's reaction. Then he leaned back down, and this time their mouths connected. Dry, soft, and a little chapped, Naruto's lips pressed gently over Sasuke's from one corner of his mouth to the other. It felt kind of nice if nothing special.

That is, until Naruto slipped his tongue past Sasuke's lips.

Not expecting this, Sasuke didn't have time to protest. And this was _worlds_ different from just moments before. Wet and velvet smooth, Naruto's tongue glided at once into his mouth and tangled around Sasuke's own. Electricity sparked in his body, and Sasuke's eyes fluttered shut. Completely without thought, his arms came up and wrapped around a strong chest and back. Naruto dragged him closer.

And the sparks clashed brighter when Naruto cupped his chin and gently squeezed to make him open his mouth wider. Naruto sucked and nipped at his tongue, dominating the kiss with surprising skill. Sasuke panted through his nose, doing his best to emulate. Every time he'd kissed Gaara or Suigetsu, they'd all been too high to develop any finesse whatsoever.

 _Why's he so good at this?_

Naruto sucked Sasuke's tongue into his own mouth, and that gave him more access. He opened his own mouth wider, biting and sucking at Sasuke's lower lip (and it really felt like the larger teen was devouring him). Sasuke had to yank his head up to breathe, feeling an unexpected and completely helpless stirring of arousal.

Naruto dragged his mouth down Sasuke's throat and sucked harshly. "You're so cute," he groaned. "You're just so fucking cute, Sasuke."

It was only when Sasuke realized Naruto's ministrations were going to leave a huge mark that he made the blonde Controller stop. His heart raced in his ribcage, feeling incredibly flustered. This was not at _all_ what he'd been expecting. To like it or hate it or think it was nice, sure.

But to want to invite Naruto to lay him back on this desk and take his clothes off and put those sinful hands and mouth wherever he would . . . ?

"I'm going to quit using," he blurted.

Blinking, Naruto looked momentarily taken aback. Only momentarily. He started laughing, sweeping Sasuke into his arms and right off the desk. "That's fantastic. I'm so proud of you. Whatever you need, I'll help you. You won't be alone, okay?"

"I know," Sasuke said softly. For the first time in four years, _I know._


	13. Interlude: Objectives

**INTERLUDE: The Mind of a Psychopath**

* * *

To some, four years would seem a short time. To others, it would seem interminable. To others yet still, it would seem unbearable. To a certain individual, it was all of these things at once.

"Hey, what's your deal, man?"

Some people had good relationships with the people surrounding them. Some people might get along with certain individuals and not others. Some people might hate every person around them. Or indeed, all people in general.

"You awake?"

Some people might think life was a wonderful thing. Some people might think life sucked. Some people might hate it so fiercely they decided to prematurely end it.

"Uh . . . is he dead?"

Itachi Uchiha hated and loved life. He hated and loved people. He hated and loved himself. Truly, there must not be a more complex mind in the planet. This thought often popped up in his head. When it did, he tried to simplify. Simplification made everything easier.

Complexity was the spice of life. Whoever said that? Someone surely more insane than Itachi.

No, he corrected himself. He was not insane. Insanity suggested he was not aware nor in control of his actions. His awareness was heightened to painful degrees, and everything he did was with great deliberation.

A somewhat cruel irony, given his current circumstances.

Eyes the shade of angry rubies opened, and to any gazing into his face he looked emotionless and cold. However, heat blazed behind this façade, heat carefully concealed behind layer upon layer of ice. Better people perceive him as cold. Better they believe him to be unreachable.

"What do you want?" he said to the two men hovering over him. "You've seen me meditate before."

"Still freaks me out," said the one with yellowish hair arranged in a tie to the side of his head.

"Are we making our move, yet?" demanded the other. His skin was so grey it had a slight blue tint, and his filed teeth and narrow features made him look surprisingly sharkish.

"No," Itachi said, rising to his feet. "Not until we hear from our contact."

They gave him wide berth as he passed between them. A caution which never failed to amuse him. This organization of which he was part had some of the empire's worst criminals as its members, and most of them couldn't quite shake their fear of him. He was a true psychopath, a murderer who'd destroyed his entire clan without a clear reason for doing such a thing.

Well, let them continue to think that. His objectives were no one's business except his own. _Mine, and one other's_ , he amended silently. There was one person to whom he would reveal everything. All in due time.

"Can we really trust that snake?" the shark-faced man asked, supremely skeptical.

"He can barely be considered Akatsuki," the yellow-haired one agreed.

"I will trust him until he betrays me," Itachi said.

The shark burst into laughter. "You're so sure he will?"

"I assume everyone will betray me."

The yellow-haired man gave Itachi a stupidly pouty look. "Including us?"

Itachi met his eyes, giving him a cold, dead smile. "Especially you. You are the most dangerous men I know."

They both laughed as though he'd made some grand joke. Itachi continued down the hall from his meditation room, heading for one of the control booths. It was high past time to check in on the doings of the Hokage, the Imperial Army, and the politicians running the empire. Always, always scouring the Net for any signs of a few certain individuals, ready to erase or adjust reports as needed.

Kisame, the shark-faced man who could be considered Itachi's partner, kept pace with him. "So how's that kid brother of yours doing? What's the last report?"

Though Itachi's control of all his faculties was superb, he had to force himself not to clench his jaw. "He's doing well," he replied. "Apparently, Hatake has him working on some new technique, though I don't know what."

Deidara, the yellow-haired man who often supported the two of them in any combat, sighed noisily. "Why does it have to be him? There are so many more skilled Coordinators in Akatsuki. Myself included."

Itachi paused in front of the comm and control panels, pulling up a half dozen holo screens and starting some generic searches of various governmental bodies. "None of you possess the particular skill I want to utilize," he said. Something he said often to Deidara. The man seemed rather fixated on the idea of bonding with the Uchiha.

Deidara huffed. "Sharingan. I don't understand. You already _have_ Sharingan. And way more powerful than your baby brother. So why does it have to be _him_?"

To this, Itachi offered no reply. Firstly, it was none of the man's business. But mostly, he didn't want to reveal so much of his true objective to these two. Or to anyone.

No one, except one.

A few results popped up on the holo screens.

Kisame grunted. "Damn it, that fool is off getting himself noticed again. Clean up duty, Uchiha?"

Nodding, Itachi let the searches keep running. "Let me get my cloak."

Personal feelings aside, this was where he needed to be at the moment. That would not be the case forever.


	14. Limitations

**The Impossible Technique**

Naruto woke with a start when the comm panel near the door chirped an incoming call from somewhere on campus. When he tried to sit up, however, he immediately winced. His left arm was so dead asleep he couldn't even feel it. Then he blinked and turned his head. The discomfort vanished, and he grinned like an idiot. It was no wonder his arm was so numb.

Sasuke was using it as a pillow.

Last night floated up into his thoughts as a pleasant blur. The pair hadn't spoken much after Sasuke told Naruto he wanted to quit using drugs. They'd simply curled up on Naruto's bed. At some point, he heard a sleepy _thank you_ from Sasuke, and apparently they'd just drifted off to sleep.

Extricating himself without waking the raven took quite a feat of dexterity, but Naruto managed to free his arm and gingerly climb over him to reach the floor. Then he hurried to the comm panel and answered the call. Gaara's face appeared, stoic as ever.

"Naruto," the redhead greeted him. "Do you know where Sasuke is?"

The blonde smiled. "Yep. Stayed the night with me."

A short pause. "Is he still asleep?"

"Mm hmm."

"He often wakes from nightmares," Gaara said. "If that happens, don't ask him about it. Just being with him is enough."

Naruto felt a burst of warmth in his chest. _Yup. He likes me._ He nodded. "Thanks. Wanna meet in the cafeteria for breakfast? It's pretty close to time to get up."

"Yes." Another slight pause. "Take care of him."

Beaming him another smile, Naruto nodded. "I will. See you in a while!"

Turning off the comm, he headed back to the bed. From the top bunk, he heard Kiba shifting.

"Who was that?" the brunette yawned.

"Gaara," Naruto replied. "Go back to sleep. It's only six."

"Fuck," Kiba grunted. "Wake me tomorrow."

With a snort, Naruto carefully climbed back onto the bed and curled down next to his sleeping Coordinator. The raven looked pale but peaceful, seeming undisturbed by nightmares. Unbidden, the memory of Sasuke's drug-induced dream about him floated up into his mind.

 _I wish there was some way I could visit his dreams like that more often,_ he thought, reaching over and brushing a lock of ebony hair off Sasuke's forehead. _That had to be the sexiest dream in the history of dreams._

Hopefully the time for a repeat performance in the waking world was drawing close.

Sasuke stirred, making a sleepy sound of protest and sort of waving a hand as if to shoo off bugs. He didn't wake, and Naruto grinned. Though he really shouldn't bother the other teen, he couldn't help it. He reached over and feathered his index finger across the bridge of Sasuke's nose.

Another incredibly cute sound of definite protest. Sasuke tossed his head to the side and still didn't wake. Biting his lip to keep from laughing, Naruto did it again.

With a grunt that sounded frustrated, Sasuke abruptly flopped onto his side, perhaps seeking Naruto's warmth. It aligned them from crown to toe, and Sasuke buried his face into Naruto's chest.

 _Shit, you are so fucking cute!_ Naruto thought, carefully wrapping an arm around Sasuke's shoulders. Other parts of his anatomy seemed to agree, and Naruto tried to think unsexy thoughts to discourage that certain problem.

Instead, his unhelpful brain dredged up the Technicolor images of Sasuke writhing in the arms of multiple Narutos. He tried to ease his hips back to keep them out of contact with Sasuke, because the raven suddenly couldn't seem to sleep still. And the tiny shifting motions definitely weren't helping anything.

Until Sasuke abruptly made a faint sound like he was choking. A sound of obvious distress, it killed the burgeoning arousal faster than ice water. Before Naruto could attempt to wake him, however, Sasuke's head snapped up. It was so unexpected it struck Naruto's chin (which hurt a lot). The younger teen didn't seem to notice as he scrambled off the bed (managing to knee Naruto right in the gut).

Blinking back reactionary tears, Naruto rolled off the bed and got to the bathroom just as Sasuke dropped to his knees and started vomiting into the toilet. Naruto's whole body ached in sympathy. Ignoring the acrid smell of bile, he put his hands on Sasuke's shoulders and rubbed up and down his back.

This went on for long moments before the heaving finally slowed and then stopped. Sasuke rested his elbows on the toilet seat and buried his face in his hands. "I feel sick," he mumbled.

"Well, yeah," Naruto agreed. "You just puked your guts up."

The raven shook his head. "No, I mean I feel sick. Withdrawal sick. I shouldn't be having these symptoms."

Naruto frowned. "When's the last time you used?" he asked, making sure to keep his voice low.

"I don't know," Sasuke grunted. "Days ago."

"Then, wouldn't you definitely be feeling withdrawal?" Naruto asked, a little confused.

Sasuke didn't answer right away. The dry heaving started up again, and when it finally passed he looked absolutely miserable. He stood up, visibly trembling, and moved to the sink where he rinsed his mouth and splashed his face with cool water.

"You know Shizune- _sensei_? Her main medic is a Shinobi named Kabuto. He knows about Poison, and he gave me something that was supposed to help me quit."

Naruto blinked, and a peculiar anxiety curled through him. "Did he tell Kakashi- _sensei_?"

"No," Sasuke replied, opening the cabinet under the sink and helping himself to the mouthwash. "He said as long as I never used Poison again, he wouldn't."

That didn't at all seem right. Naruto frowned. "Doesn't that seem a little . . . strange?" he asked carefully.

The Coordinator gave him a somewhat flat look. "Of course. But he already knew about the drug use. So what difference does it make if I let him try to help me?" Sasuke grimaced. "I guess he did indirectly warn me I'd still feel the nausea."

When Sasuke seemed satisfied with his oral hygiene, Naruto grabbed his arm and steered him back toward the bed. "I think you should lay down for a while. We don't need to start getting ready for class for at least another hour."

The younger didn't protest, laying down on the bed. As Naruto pulled the blankets up over him, Kiba peered over the edge of the bunk.

"You okay, Sasuke?"

Sasuke closed his eyes. "I'll be fine." Then he looked up at both Controllers. "Would one of you mind going to the infirmary and getting some nausea tonic?"

"I will," Kiba said, immediately climbing down. "Just let me take a quick shower. You stay in bed."

When he was in the bathroom and the water started, Naruto perched on the edge of the lower bunk. "Can I hold you?" he asked.

For a long moment Sasuke seemed to ignore him. Then the tiniest nod. Naruto carefully clambered up beside him and pulled the skinny raven into his arms. It only took a handful of seconds for Sasuke to melt into his warmth. And then another couple minutes before he fell back to sleep.

Presently, Kiba emerged from the bathroom. He threw the pair a look, then he grinned and shook his head. "Only you bring out that part of him, I guess. He wouldn't snuggle with _me_."

Naruto snorted softly. "I'm pretty persistent. Hurry back, kay?"

"Sure," Kiba said, putting on his boots.

The Controllers' uniforms were similar to the Coordinators' in only a few ways. They were made of the same material, but instead of a high mandarin collar on a sleeveless tunic, their black uniform shirts had a folding lapel collar. The Academy's emblem was embroidered on the left breast, but the shirt was short sleeved and didn't have the accompanying arm-covers.

Naruto didn't care much about what his own uniform looked like, but he really liked how the Coordinator uniform looked on Sasuke. It didn't have any fabric over the shoulders to maximize the Coordinator's motion capability, and the long arm covers provided at least some warmth and protection.

And frankly, it looked kinda sexy.

At some point, he dozed off. He didn't wake until a hand grabbed his shoulder and shook him, and he came to somewhat groggily. Only to find he'd shifted in his sleep. He'd rolled forward until he was pretty much laying right on top of Sasuke, mashing the smaller teen into the bed. For himself, Sasuke apparently didn't mind. With one hand curled to his chest and his face pressed under Naruto's neck, he looked unbearably cute.

Kiba shook his head with a small grin. "He really is cute when he's sleeping."

Naruto frowned at him. "He's cute all the time."

The brunette snorted. "Until he opens his mouth. Kakashi- _sensei_ has had me and Shikamaru practicing with him, and he can be a total ass."

"Only when you do stupid shit," Sasuke mumbled, sounding barely awake.

The two Controllers looked at each other and burst into laughter. Naruto levered himself upright, which made Sasuke's black eyes open. He glared at Naruto as if chastising him for taking away the warmth. Naruto encouraged him to sit up.

"Here," Kiba said, handing him a little single-dose vial of tonic. "Am I the only one who thinks that med-nin Kabuto is a little creepy?"

"I think he's creepy," Naruto agreed at once.

Which made Sasuke give him a look of somewhat tired annoyance as he tossed back the contents of the vial. He grimaced at the flavor, then laid back down.

Kiba visibly hesitated. "You think you're gonna feel better by tonight, Sasuke?" he asked.

Naruto frowned at him. "Why? What's tonight?"

Kiba broke into a wide grin. "Oh, we're been practicing again."

"Practicing what?" Naruto demanded, trying to control burning jealousy.

His best friend shook his head. "The impossible."

Wondering if he'd have to punch Kiba to make him stop being so cryptic, Naruto gave him a mild glare.

"If you're so damn curious," Sasuke grunted, "just come tonight and watch." Then he looked at Kiba. "I'll be fine."

"Good," Kiba said. "We're _so_ close. I can tell! You should get up, Naruto, or we won't have time for breakfast."

Naruto put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and pushed him back when the younger tried to sit up. "Nuh uh. You stay here and rest."

Sasuke glared at him. "I can't miss class. Kakashi will ask about it, and I can't _stand_ it when he fusses."

A partial truth, Naruto read between the lines. His guardian would suspect Sasuke might be sick for a very specific reason. "But . . ." he tried to protest, voice weak. "I'm a little worried about you."

This time he didn't stop the raven sitting up. "I'll be fine. That tonic works pretty quick, especially if I walk around a little. I'm going back to my room to shower and get a clean uniform. I'll see you at breakfast."

"I'll walk you to your room," Kiba offered.

Sasuke glanced at him and just nodded. Then, as if sensing Naruto's flare of jealousy, looked back at him. He seemed to hesitate, then he abruptly leaned down and brushed his lips over Naruto's cheek. "Thank you," he whispered, barely audible.

Naruto practically melted. _Gah. So sweet._

Then Sasuke straightened and wouldn't look at him as he stalked out of the room. Naruto grinned.

 _Well, sometimes sweet._ It was Sasuke, after all.

~o0o~

Feeling shaky and tired, Sasuke didn't resist Kiba putting an arm around him in silent offer of support. He leaned against the taller teen, grateful for the help. However, when he reached his room he straightened and wouldn't let Kiba follow him.

"I'll see you in the cafeteria?" he said quietly.

Kiba nodded, the concern in his countenance muted but there. "Take it easy, okay?"

Sasuke just nodded. He closed the door behind him, heard the lock snick into place. He could hear the shower running.

"Sasuke?" Gaara's voice called from the bathroom. "Come in here."

Entire body crying out for a little attention, Sasuke stripped without a second thought, leaving a trail of clothes to the bathroom. Gaara opened the stall door, and Sasuke climbed under the hot spray. It poured like balm over his achy skin.

"You're pale," Gaara stated, pouring shower gel into his palms and starting to massage Sasuke's shoulders and back.

"I feel better now," Sasuke said, turning to drop his head to rest on Gaara's shoulder. It was true, too. The hot water and tender ministrations of his best friend were blessedly welcome and healing.

Gaara said nothing more, just continuing with their morning ritual. When he started washing Sasuke's hair the raven all but turned into a puddle. By the time he finished, Sasuke felt human again. Only a minor twinge of nausea still remained, and he went when Gaara nudged him out of the shower.

Drying off, he dressed in a clean uniform and laid down to wait for his friend. _I can't believe I actually slept with Naruto last night. I mean, in his bed. I basically cuddled with him like we're . . ._

His thoughts choked off and wouldn't continue further. Dangerous. That line of thinking was too dangerous. He could admit he and Naruto were probably friends (an admission by itself difficult to make, even in his head), but nothing more. Friends could snuggle in bed together and make out. While not high.

 _Yeah right,_ whispered a completely unwelcome voice way, way in the back of his mind. _You wouldn't even make out with Gaara like that._

Squeezing his eyes shut, he rubbed his hands vigorously over his face.

"What's on your mind?" Gaara's voice asked from so close it startled Sasuke.

Who promptly sprang to his feet. "Is Suigetsu still in the infirmary?"

Looking unbothered by the abrupt change of subject, Gaara shook his head. "No, he should have been released this morning. Said he'll meet us in the cafeteria."

Feeling incredibly antsy, Sasuke headed out. "Will you tell everyone I'll be there soon?" he called over his shoulder.

He didn't hear Gaara's reply. His stomach still felt a little queasy, but he had a feeling some food would settle it down. Breaking into a jog, he headed to the second years' dormitories. Neji's room was on the third floor, and when Sasuke reached it he pressed the announcer chime.

For a full forty seconds, nothing. Then the door opened, and pale lavender eyes regarded him without emotion, cold and clear as ever. Having come here with no clear intent, Sasuke hesitated. He didn't really know what to say, and Neji did nothing to make this easier for him.

So he took a deep breath and plunged in. "I'm sorry," he stated.

Though Neji's expression didn't change, his eyes flared with small traces of satisfaction. His hand came up and cupped Sasuke's chin. "Of course you are."

Irritated, Sasuke slapped his hand away. "I'm sorry I tried to punch you in the face. You deserved everything else."

Neji's eyes went dark, and he turned to stalk back into his room. Sasuke managed to shove into the room before he could close the door.

"I don't like fighting with you," Sasuke said. "It's pointless."

"Fighting," Neji repeated, going about finishing dressing in his uniform. "Is that what we're doing, Sasuke?"

"Well, what would _you_ call it?" Sasuke demanded. "Nothing's changed between us, Neji. Nothing except me trying to find my independence. Do you really want me to keep drowning? Like Naruto says?"

Neji rounded on him. "What does that pathetic idiot know? How dare you let him sum up our relationship when you've known me for _years_ and he's known me a few weeks!"

This time, Sasuke didn't let those words rile him. "I'm not. But that _is_ how you're acting. Even if you don't mean to, it's what I feel from you. And I hate it. You, Gaara, and Suigetsu are the only reason I'm still alive. So _please_ support my trying to quit using drugs and face my future with open eyes instead of a numb mind."

For long moments, long enough for Sasuke to start feeling awkward, Neji just looked at him with an inscrutable expression. Then,

"I don't like it when you let someone you barely know have so much influence over you. Unlike him, I've seen you nearly broken. It's not an image I'll so easily forget."

Sasuke shrugged. "Then don't forget. Just don't let that be how you see me from now on. I'm trying to put myself back together, Neji. Is that such a terrible thing?"

Another pause, though shorter this time. Neji abruptly took the few steps necessary to bring them close enough to yank Sasuke into a rough, one-armed hug. "Of course not. Fool."

Emotion, thick and choking, immediately welled up behind Sasuke's eyes. He took a deep, shuddering breath and pushed Neji away. Without looking at the older teen, he headed to the door. "Good. Because that'd be really shitty of you."

Was that a faint snort of laughter that followed him out of the room? He sincerely hoped so.

 **~*o0o*~**

There were two reasons Kiba liked Sasuke. The first and most obvious: Sasuke was a damn powerful Coordinator with a lot of untapped potential. He was like a book only one-third written. Plenty of empty pages for Kiba to fill with his own stamp. Second and less obvious: Sasuke was damn cute.

This statement of thought had little to do with Sasuke's face, even though the raven was pretty fucking easy on the eyes. It was something much more intangible that made him practically irresistible to the dog-loving teen. The raven was so spunky, so feisty, so foul-mouthed, so unwilling to take shit. And how he got a little shy when Kiba flirted with him was stupid cute.

And he liked how Sasuke didn't give up. Every evening Kakashi- _sensei_ pushed Sasuke real hard, trying to help him achieve the impossible: bonding with two Controllers at once. Sasuke's raw determination had even thawed Shikamaru to the idea of working with him.

Basically, Sasuke's terrible past could have turned him into a whiney, spoiled prick. Instead, they'd made him focused, determined, and absolutely driven toward accomplishing his goal of being the best. He never asked for favors, none of his achievements had been handed to him, and he worked harder than any student Kiba knew.

With the possible exception of Naruto, he thought with a grin as he, Shikamaru, and Sasuke faced each other for probably the one-hundredth time.

These last three days, this trio had gotten very good at sparring with each other. Though they hadn't been able to mount much of an offense against a fucking killer Shinobi like Kakashi- _sensei_ , Sasuke had gotten insanely fast at switching between the two Controllers to maximize their chances. Kiba didn't have to think anymore when he and Sasuke bonded, and he knew Shikamaru had gotten just as proficient with the raven Coordinator.

Their scores together were so high Shikamaru had risen to the top three Controllers at The Academy, and Kiba was now in the top ten.

Yanking on the hand held between both of his, he put his mouth right on Sasuke's ear. "C'mon, beautiful," he breathed. "This time for sure."

Sasuke didn't verbally or physically react as he straightened, but a hint of color flushed his pale cheeks. He straightened his spine and opened up a flow of _chakra_. That unique ability only Controllers could utilize. Kiba and Shikamaru had tried this so many times now they didn't need to speak, just looked at each other.

 _One_.

A deep breath in, steeling himself to have perfect timing.

 _Two_.

Poised on the very edge of channeling his own _chakra_.

 _Three!_

At the exact same time, the two Controllers reached out to accept the offered opportunity to link with the raven Coordinator. Like every other time before, three sets of _chakra_ fell into alignment. Like every other time before, Kiba felt the _pull_ of his body beginning to transform.

Unlike every other time before, he transformed.

His first reaction was one of disappointment. If he'd transformed and not Shikamaru, maybe this wasn't possible after all.

His second reaction was one of confusion, because Sasuke was holding a long black quarterstaff.

His third reaction was more along the lines of, _Holy fucking shit!_

Sasuke grunted and went down to one knee, eyes squeezing closed and jaw visibly clenching. His hands gripped the quarterstaff so tight his knuckles were white, and his breathing sounded painfully labored.

" _Holy shit_ ," Kiba exclaimed. " _Holy fucking shit, Sasuke! You did it! You're linked with us both_!"

 _"This is really taking a lot out of him, though,"_ Shikamaru noted. " _I doubt we could maintain this link, and definitely not during combat."_

 _"Yeah, but with practice we'll get better!"_ Kiba dismissed it.

"Sasuke?" Kakashi- _sensei_ said, kneeling by the raven's side. "How're you doing?"

Lifting his head, Sasuke looked up at their instructor. "It-it's really . . . really hard," he panted.

 _"I think,"_ Shikamaru said slowly, " _I'm part of the problem. I don't have a huge amount of_ chakra."

Kiba immediately grinned. _"But we know someone who does."_


	15. The Rat

I'm not really updating this as fast as I want, but I have focusing issues. It's not my fault. T^T

Citrusy stuff ahead.

* * *

 **Some Sort of Wonderful**

Naruto leaned back in his chair, mind reeling from the implications of what he'd just heard. "You linked with Kiba and Shikamaru? Both? At the same time?"

Sasuke, looking inexplicably uncomfortable, wouldn't quite look at him as he nodded.

Kiba, from his spot sprawled on the edge of the sparring mat, chuckled. "It was incredible. We couldn't hold onto it for very long, but he did it. He did the impossible!"

Grumbling under his breath, Naruto continued scrubbing the burn marks off the wall. "I can't believe I have to wait for another two weeks before I can give it a go with you two."

Shikamaru waved a lazy hand. "It's what you get for being stupid."

Naruto chucked the dirty sponge at him. "I'm not stupid!"

Abruptly rising, Sasuke glided toward him and leaned close, pitching his voice low for Naruto's ears alone. "I want to see your third form."

The excitement Naruto immediately felt at the closeness died at those words. He grimaced. "It's . . . I'm not ready for that. But I will be soon, okay?"

Judging by the flat look Sasuke gave him, it wasn't okay. The raven teen folded his arms as if demanding a better explanation. Naruto scratched the back of his neck.

Shikamaru stood up. "C'mon, Kiba. I'm bored of this shit."

Kiba sighed but followed him, and Naruto felt a wave of gratitude toward them both.

Sasuke, however, gave him a heated glare. "You can't get better with a form if you won't use it. You're the one who keeps saying you plan to bond with me at the end of the year, so I want to spar with you. Using your third form."

Deciding now was as good a time as any to talk about shitty pasts, Naruto yielded. Grabbing Sasuke's arm, he steered him to the undamaged part of the sparring mat and sat him down. Then kneeled in front of him, grasping Sasuke's hands in both of his. "I'll tell you all about it, but you have to promise me you won't . . . see me different."

Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke lifted his chin. "How is one type of idiot different from another?"

Snorting, Naruto shook his head. "Just promise. And mean it."

Sasuke's eyes softened. "I promise." Low and sincere.

Naruto took a deep breath. "Remember me saying the circumstances of my parents' deaths were odd?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Well, it's a little more than that. Did you ever hear of the Kyuubi?"

With a frown, Sasuke nodded again. "One of the oldest known demons. It was sealed somewhere in Konoha."

"Not just somewhere," Naruto said. "It was sealed inside Kushina Uzumaki. My mother."

Eyes intent on Naruto's face, the slightly smaller teen motioned him to continue.

"The Nine-Tail wasn't really meant to be sealed inside my mom," Naruto went on. "She was meant to be a temporary vessel. So she and my dad and some other Shinobi from the village got together to transfer the seal from her to me. I guess demons don't have any control over infants. Only . . ." Emotion suddenly choked him, and he swallowed thickly.

Sasuke's ebony eyes were bright with compassion. "Something went wrong?" he offered quietly.

Naruto snorted. "Yeah. You could say that. The demon started to wake up. But there was an unwelcome guest at this party. I don't know a lot, no one really does. But there was a rogue Shinobi who disrupted the ritual transfer. It's thought that person meant to interrupt the transfer into themselves, but that didn't happen. The Kyuubi tried to fight free, but its _chakra_ sort of went out of control. In the ensuing chaos, everyone was killed. My mom, my dad, the rogue Shinobi, and everyone else there. My mom did manage to complete the seal, though, so the Kyuubi is inside me.

"Thing is, its _chakra_ merged with mine so completely it's like it _is_ mine," Naruto explained. "That's why it feels so weird. And I probably wouldn't even have a third form without it." Here he paused, hoping Sasuke would connect the dots himself.

He did so instantly. "So your third form is . . . a manifestation of the Kyuubi?"

Relief that he wouldn't have to explain swept through Naruto. "Yeah," he said softly.

The younger teen's spine stiffened. With an abruptness that sort of startled Naruto, he rose to his feet, breaking the other's hold. Sasuke paced back and forth for several moments.

"You told me before the people of Konoha blamed you for your parents' deaths," he said, voice peculiarly flat.

Naruto scratched the back of his neck. "Heh, yeah . . ."

Sasuke rounded on him, ebony eyes suddenly blazing with heat. "Why? How is any of this your fault? That'd be like me being blamed for Itachi killing my family. Why did they blame you?"

It took Naruto a second to realize why Sasuke was angry. _He's angry for me. On my behalf. In my defense._ It was the first time he'd ever experienced the like, and it left him unexpectedly defenseless. Surging off the floor, he matched Sasuke's pacing and yanked him into a tight hug.

"Thank you," he whispered into raven hair.

Sasuke tensed. "For what?" he grunted.

"Keeping your promise," Naruto mumbled, feeling an embarrassing urge to cry. Instead, he grabbed Sasuke's face and kissed him. Hard.

With a cute, disgruntled sound, Sasuke resisted. It took a few seconds of encouragement to soothe him into responding, and Naruto's hold tightened when his Coordinator melted against him. His skinny arms wound around Naruto's back, hands clenching in the material of Naruto's uniform shirt. And without any prompting from Naruto, he opened his mouth to deepen the kiss.

Naruto bit and sucked and nipped at his lips and tongue for a few moments before dragging his mouth across Sasuke's jaw. "Do you care about me, Sasu~ke?" he breathed.

Sasuke made a faint, huffing sound that managed to convey his irritation. "Don't a-ask something stupid when you're kissing me," he snapped, the hitch in his voice barely audible.

"But I like kissing you," Naruto whined, biting down on Sasuke's pulse before swiping his tongue in gentle apology.

Burying his hands in Naruto's golden hair, Sasuke yanked his head back up. "Idiot." Their mouths clashed again.

The heat built up between them with alarming speed, and suddenly they were on the mat. Naruto wasn't sure which one of them initiated that, maybe both at the same time. But he was on his back with Sasuke straddling his hips, elbows on the mat alongside Naruto's head. This position gave Naruto a whole bunch of brilliant leverage, which he utilized with alacrity. He grabbed two handfuls of Sasuke's firm, perfect ass.

Though he didn't stop kissing Naruto, Sasuke let out an incoherent growl and bit Naruto's tongue really fucking hard. Then he sucked on it, so Naruto really didn't mind. He kneaded the pert flesh in his hands, desperately wishing it wasn't covered by black fabric.

"Sto-stop it," Sasuke panted between open-mouthed kisses.

Yet he made no move to get away or push Naruto's hands away, so Naruto ignored him and kept it up, nipping at Sasuke's lips every time the smaller teen pulled back for a gulp of air. His disobedience seemed to incense Sasuke, and he grabbed the hem of Naruto's shirt and yanked it out of his pants. Then he shoved his hands beneath it.

Electricity sparked along every one of Naruto's nerves. It was stupid that such a touch would arouse him, but it did. He felt himself hardening in response, and without thinking he used his hold to rock Sasuke against his groin. Sasuke let out the most delicious groan at this, his hands running light and smooth over Naruto's chest. Skin to skin.

 _Fuck,_ Naruto thought hazily, trying to gather the fraying edges of his self-control. They were in a sparring arena, for fuck's sake. Not one of the private rooms, but one of the big student halls. It was closed for use but the doors weren't locked. Anyone could walk in. Absolutely anyone. At any fucking moment.

So why was he grinding up against Sasuke's ass? And the raven wasn't helping the matter any with those faint, sexy little panting moans. And then made it even worse by grabbing one of Naruto's hands and dragging it to the front of his uniform slacks.

 _FUCK, he's hard too,_ Naruto thought. In the blink of an eye he had them flipped, his broader bulk now pinning Sasuke to the mat. He ground his arousal right into Sasuke's. The raven immediately threw his head back and _fuck_ , his moan almost made Naruto come.

"Sh-shit," he panted, gnawing on Sasuke's neck. It would leave a mark, he knew it would. But his control was lost.

Fortunately (or really, really unfortunately), Sasuke's control was not. He pushed at Naruto's shoulders. "Stop." Quiet but firm and dead serious.

Naruto stopped at once, peering down into ebony eyes. "Too much?" he whispered.

Sasuke nodded, but he didn't look scared or disgusted. In fact, he looked a little disappointed. "Not here," he said after a few moments of breathing hard. "It's dirty. And you smell like industrial cleaner."

Unable to help it, Naruto half collapsed on top of him in a fit of sudden giggles. _Ah, Sasuke. I like you so much._ "Okay," he said, glad to feel the hardness in his pants subsiding. "But can we continue this later?"

Now came the shyness. Blushing a little, Sasuke looked away and nodded. Grinning and wondering if this was what love felt like, Naruto leaned down and bit his ear. That almost got him an elbow in the face as he scrambled off the smaller teen. Sasuke gave him a glare as he gingerly stood and straightened his uniform. And yes, he had a pretty big hickey.

"Idiot," he sniffed, gliding past him.

Plenty pleased with this turn of events, Naruto just grinned and let him go. "Yup. He cares about me." His good mood carried him through the rest of his unpleasant chores.

 **~*o0o 0o0 o0o*~**

Kakashi watched Sasuke closely as the young Coordinator executed a series of timed attacks. Sometimes he couldn't believe this kid's raw ability and determination. When he'd told Sasuke to work on linking with two Controllers at once, he'd figured it would be a good way to help Sasuke focus and work on his _chakra_ control. He'd never imagined Sasuke would actually figure out a way to do it.

And here he was, linked up with two Controllers and maintaining it so far for two minutes.

Sakura had replaced Shikamaru, one of the four Iruka had recommended as good matches. She actually suited him better than Shikamaru and Kiba both, her control so perfect she'd managed to help Sasuke maintain the link more smoothly.

"All right," Kakashi said, able to tell Sasuke was getting too tired, "let's wrap it up for the night. That was excellent, you three. Kiba, Sakura, you two can go."

The pair both grinned at Sasuke when he unraveled their link, waving and bidding both a good night before leaving. Sasuke looked up at Kakashi, clearly waiting.

For a moment, Kakashi studied him in silence. In the last week, the kid had filled out a little and looked to have more energy and spirit than in the last four years combined. He'd lost the pale, pinched look about the face and seemed not so haunted. _It's as though he was using until just a week or two ago._

"I'm proud of you," he said at length.

As he always did when praised, Sasuke got inexplicably shy. He looked down. "Thanks."

It was kind of cute. Kakashi resisted the urge to ruffle his hair. "Have you given any thought to whom you'll bond at the end of the year?"

Sasuke gave him a somewhat surprised look. "Naruto wants to."

Kakashi snorted. "I'm very well aware what he wants. I want to know what _you_ want."

Judging from his expression, Sasuke hadn't thought about it. This his countenance grew rather guarded. "I . . . are you going to tell me I shouldn't choose him?"

"I'll never tell you what to do," Kakashi said. "At least, not about that. You do realize the Committee will never fully approve if you two decide to bond?"

That brought Sasuke's chin up. "Like I care."

The man almost smiled. Some things never changed. "I'm only bringing that up because it's worth keeping in mind."

"Why would they protest?" Sasuke demanded. "Naruto's third form is the Kyuubi. The Nine-Tail is a powerful weapon. Why shouldn't they want it matched up with the Sharingan?"

Kakashi blinked. "He told you about that?"

"I asked," Sasuke said, eyes going somewhat flinty.

Sighing, Kakashi sat on the edge of the sparring mat and pulled his mask down. He patted the space beside him. Sasuke came toward him warily, but he sat.

"That's not the issue," Kakashi said, draping an arm around Sasuke's shoulders. "Yeah, Naruto's third form is powerful. Too powerful, some would say. Your Sharingan makes you a tremendous asset. There are those who believe Naruto would be a liability. That _chakra_ of his can be unpredictable."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "The Committee doesn't get to decide my future. I may be the only Uchiha left, but I'm not going to be a tool. I'm not going to discount Naruto just because they don't like me considering him. I like how I feel when I'm with him, Kakashi. He exhausts me and pushes me and makes me forget Itachi. I feel . . . _normal_."

Then he blushed, and Kakashi had a feeling his kid had more than just normal feelings toward Naruto. The situation suddenly reminded him of himself and Iruka, what felt like a million years ago. _I was discouraged from bonding with Iruka,_ he thought. _The Committee thought he was too average for me. And I told them to fuck themselves and did what I damn well wanted._

Best decision of his life.

He tried to imagine Naruto bonding with Sasuke. No doubt in his mind, the blonde Controller would take good care of Sasuke.

"You two already had sex?" Kakashi asked, casual as you please.

Sasuke's eyes widened comically as he half glared, half panicked. " _What_?"

Kakashi waved a hand. "It's fine. Just make sure he uses lube. The first time can be -"

"Shut up," Sasuke snarled, hands clenching into fists, _chakra_ misting around him.

Keeping a straight face required all his self-discipline. "I'm serious. You want to enjoy yourself as much as he will -"

Without another word or hint of warning, Sasuke's eyes went red with the Sharingan and he lunged forward, fist snapping back. Chuckling, Kakashi channeled some _chakra_ into his palm to soften the blow as he caught Sasuke's fist. Then he yanked the kid into a brief but tight hug.

"Do whatever _you_ want," he murmured. "Fuck everyone else."

Quick as embracing him, Kakashi released him and stood up. "Now get some sleep," he ordered, throwing a wave over his shoulder as he left the sparring room.

Not looking back, he pulled his mask back up as he headed to Tsunade's office. Thinking about the past made him miss his lover and partner. Iruka had left two days ago, and he dearly wished he didn't have to be here so he could rejoin his love in the capital city. Of course, that meant he couldn't be here with Sasuke, and of the two males in his life this one needed him more.

Rapping his knuckles on the door before entering, he closed the door behind him. "So?" he inquired.

Tsunade abandoned whatever held her attention and leaned forward, folding her hands. "You were right. Communications are coming from The Academy and going to a location we know to be an Akatsuki stronghold."

Kakashi's attention focused into a razor-fine line. "Who?" he said softly.

She visibly hesitated. "Kabuto Yakushi."

Holding perfectly still, Kakashi digested that information. _Shizune's number one medical nin. He's the one who performed Sasuke's physicals. That bastard had his hands on my kid._

"We never would have found out," Tsunade went on, sounding a bit cautious, "if we weren't looking for it. He was very careful."

Feeling a peculiar tunnel vision, Kakashi had to force himself to breathe normally. "I'll kill him." He turned.

Tsunade beat him to the door, slapping an arm across it. "Wait, Kakashi. I know you're angry. So am I. But he doesn't know we know. We can _use_ him."

After several seconds of trying to decide the best way to kill her so he could get to Kabuto, better sense suddenly returned. Kakashi relaxed his muscles. "You're right. As long as he doesn't touch Sasuke again."

"Naturally," Tsunade said at once, nodding. "Shizune will be his primary care provider from now on. Or myself."

Kakashi took a few deep breaths. "So what comes next?"

Tsunade's attractive face hardened. "Now we trap the little weasel and make him squeal."


	16. A New Hope

A really fast update to apologize for how SLOW the last one was.

Moar citrusy stuff ahead.

* * *

 **The Foolishness of Youth**

 _I'm an idiot,_ Sasuke decided. That could be the only possible explanation for his current position. Not that it was a particularly unpleasant position, but the fact he hadn't offered even token protest . . . He thought it should bother him.

What bothered him was that it didn't bother him.

So here he was, flat on his back with legs wide open and mostly naked, being enthusiastically kissed by a horny teen in an equal state of undress.

Naruto had wasted no time in getting them to this state when Sasuke worked up the nerve to go to his room. He had no idea where Kiba was, only had Naruto's assurance the other Controller wouldn't return for a few hours. He seemed to have no idea of anything these days.

Except it felt stupid good to have Naruto's weight between his thighs, slowly and constantly grinding their mutual arousals together with only thin material separating them. His black boxer briefs and Naruto's ridiculous orange boxers.

"I love kissing you," Naruto got out between nipping kisses.

Sasuke didn't verbally respond, his mind too wrapped up in noticing stupid things. Like how the sheets weren't as smooth as he'd like. How hard and soft Naruto's body was. How nice he smelled; clearly he'd showered, and his skin had the very faintest coconut scent to it.

Not that Sasuke could find fault with that, he'd showered before coming here for just this reason.

Naruto abruptly sat up. "Can I touch you?" he asked softly, reaching to the short bedside table.

Sasuke blushed when he saw a tube of lube. "Yeah," he heard himself say.

The blonde gave him a sultry smile. "Take them off," he instructed softly, nodding to the underwear.

The blush deepened, and again without thought he found himself obeying. He slid his thumbs under the elastic waistband and inched them down his hips, thighs, knees, and finally ankles. Naruto watched the progress with rapt attention, popping the cap of the tube and squeezing some of the clear contents onto his palm. Then he tossed it somewhere and worked his own boxers down with his free hand.

Sasuke didn't get the chance to enjoy (or even really see) the sight as Naruto suddenly resumed kissing him. Then he half yelped, half moaned when a cold and slippery hand closed around his hard and weeping arousal. Naruto's weight lowered down onto him again, and he shuddered when he felt Naruto's length nudge against his.

Wrapping his arms around Naruto's broad shoulders, Sasuke easily fell into the rhythm of Naruto's stroking hands. He worked them both together, and Sasuke wanted to reach down and help him, but the thought of touching the slimy lube proved to be supremely disagreeable.

So he tried to show his appreciation in the kiss, pleasure warming quickly where Naruto touched him. Why did someone else touching him feel so much better than his own hand?

"Hnngh, you're so cute, Sasuke," Naruto abruptly groaned, shifting.

In a dizzying whirl of motion, Sasuke suddenly found himself on his side with Naruto pressed to his back. The blonde's hand didn't stop its ministrations over his arousal, but the pleasure and eroticism spiked when he felt a slick hand slide over his ass and delve into the cleft.

"I won't do anything more," Naruto panted at his neck, "but I wanna touch you . . ."

Before Sasuke could even think to protest, a warm finger pressed right to his anus and worked inside with shocking ease.

"Fuck!" he gasped, arching up at the strange, invasive, intimate touch. It didn't hurt, but the weirdness of it took his breath away.

Perhaps before he was ready, Naruto pressed a second finger in alongside the first. That brought some discomfort, and Sasuke felt himself clench wildly around the intruders. The contrasting sensations front and back were enough to make his whole body start trembling, a juxtaposition that carried him right to a razor edge.

Part of him was grateful he couldn't breathe. He was sure he'd be making the most embarrassing sounds, whining at the not-quite-pain and moaning at the numbing pleasure. He could feel Naruto rutting against his lower back, only a little distracting and incredibly erotic. He could feel precum being smeared on his skin, and that was also embarrassing.

In a few words, this was all too much. That didn't stop him from trying to find a rhythm with the hand stroking and squeezing him and the one fingering him. Those two fingers kept pushing deeper, stroking and squirming all around as if looking for something.

And Sasuke knew the instant they found it. Somewhere in the dim recesses of his mind he knew this must be his prostate gland, but no one had ever told him it could be made to feel like _that_. The orgasm it forced from him was so intense his vision whited out, and those fingers just pushed him higher and farther than he'd ever managed alone.

He was pretty sure he blacked out for a few seconds.

The sound of Naruto trying to breathe normally helped him focus.

"Shit," the blonde breathed. "That was the hottest thing I've ever seen."

Sasuke blushed and again wondered what had compelled him to come here tonight. This was stupid. And it would definitely happen again. Apparently, stupid was contagious. He fought an irrational urge to punch Naruto as he buried his face in his hands.

"We shouldn't have done this," he muttered.

"What?" Naruto immediately protested. "Why not? It felt good, didn't it? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

The concern in his voice convinced Sasuke to sit up. He glared down at the blonde. "Of course not." The blush came back, damn it. "It felt . . . good." _Really good._

Naruto grinned. "Then what's the issue? I wanted to touch you, and from where I was sitting you _really_ wanted me to."

Controlling his temper took a little more effort, this time. "It's not happening again."

Eyes practically bugging out of his head, Naruto sat up, too. "What! Why not?"

Sasuke folded his arms and leveled him with a stony look. "Not until you link with me and we use your third form."

The idiot wilted. "But Sasu~ke," he whined, "I can't spar with anyone for another two weeks! You know that!"

Sasuke lifted his chin. "That gives you two weeks to think about it." He made to get up.

Predictably, Naruto grabbed him and disallowed escape. "Oh, no. If I can't do that again for two weeks, then you're sleeping here with me tonight. We'll see if you can resist when you wake up with morning wood."

That almost made Sasuke smile. He usually woke up in a cold sweat from nightmares, a condition which seldom (never) left room for anything else. But he couldn't remember having nightmares the one time he'd slept here last.

"Fine," he gave in, "but not naked. You're sticky. And sweaty. Get off me and go clean up."

"Geez you're fussy," Naruto chuckled, getting up. He hauled Sasuke with him. He seemed to hesitate as they reached the bathroom. "Ne, why doesn't my third form bother you? I mean, doesn't it freak you out?"

"No," Sasuke said, turning on the water and rummaging for a washcloth. "Why would it? Controllers aren't the only ones who want the most powerful partner, you know."

Those words made Naruto's whole countenance light up. "Heh, I guess not. And I _am_ powerful. Really powerful."

Getting the cloth wet, Sasuke started rubbing his skin clean. He observed Naruto for a moment. "I know. I mean, we all got a hint when you lost your temper with Neji." He turned away. "But if you want to bond with me, we have to work on your lack of control over your emotions."

A long and loud silence. Suddenly, strong arms embraced him from behind. "That sounded an awful lot like a promise, Sasu~ke."

Growling, Sasuke shoved him back with considerable strength. He might have a slighter build, but he wasn't weak. "It was a warning, idiot." Then he busied himself with rinsing off the cloth. "I'm just saying I'm not automatically discounting you, all right? I have no idea who I'll pick when the time comes. Not yet."

Judging by the face beaming at him in the mirror, Naruto heard only what he wanted to hear. Sasuke pushed the cloth into his hands and strode out of the bathroom. He slipped back into his underwear and dug out a pair of Naruto's sweatpants. They were a little bit baggy on him, but at least they weren't orange. He curled up in sheets that smelled like Naruto.

Only a few minutes later, Naruto joined him. The pair of sweatpants he'd put on were orange, but Sasuke decided he'd been demanding enough for one day. He sighed softly when the other teen spooned up to his back and lightly kissed his ear.

"G'night," he whispered.

Sasuke fell asleep quickly, and no nightmares plagued him.

 **~*o0o 0o0 o0o*~**

Cleaning up the evidence of his violence hadn't taken as long as Naruto feared. In fact, he was mostly done after only a few days. As he finished scrubbing the last burn marks, Naruto's mind happily wandered over last night. He didn't like having to wait so long to touch Sasuke again, but he could live with it.

Because his raven Coordinator had, for the first time, expressed the possibility that he wanted to bond with Naruto. _I knew I'd win you over._ The thought of fighting with Sasuke in his third form still made him nervous, but he had time to continue working on that. He supposed if anyone could handle it, it would be Sasuke with all his raw ability.

 _Shit, I can't believe he linked with two Controllers at once. That's just so crazy impressive._

The sound of the door opening drew his eye, and blinked to see Orochimaru. Of all the instructors at The Academy, this was the only one he didn't like. The guy was sort of creepy. Scary smart and skilled, but creepy. Even so, Naruto put on his best and gave the man a respectful nod.

" _Sensei_?"

Orochimaru closed the door and leaned against the wall, folding his arms. "Tsunade asked me to make sure you weren't slacking off."

Naruto stood up, making a sweeping gesture to take in the whole hall. "Nope. I'm almost done."

"I see that," the instructor said with a strange little smile. "I'm here for another reason. The Academy's Shinobi-bonding Committee has ongoing concerns about your intentions. Is this little tantrum-throwing going to happen again?"

The word choice irritated the crap out of him, but Naruto didn't correct it. "No, _sensei_ ," he said. He would never again risk hurting Sasuke, directly or indirectly.

"Good," Orochimaru said, nodding.

A little surprised that was all, Naruto waited for him to say something else.

He didn't wait too long. "Mind my asking what it's like?"

Blink. "What what's like?"

Orochimaru chuckled, but it wasn't a warm sound. "Having the Kyuubi inside your head."

"Oh." Naruto frowned. "It's not like that. The demon's sealed and completely dormant. I can't hear a voice or anything."

"But you do use its _chakra_."

"Well, yeah. But that's my only awareness of it. I've been told my temper flares more easily when I'm using it, because it's such a destructive _chakra_."

The tall, skinny man seemed to digest this. "Interesting. Do you know how uncommon it is for a host to be able to use its demon's _chakra_?"

The question gave Naruto pause. He'd never thought about that. "No."

Another smile, this one cold and somehow reptilian. "You are the first known case," the man said. "In nearly one thousand years of recorded sealing rituals, you are the first known to actually use his demon's _chakra_. Do you remember when you began doing so?"

"Uh," Naruto mused, "not really. I was pretty young, I guess. I don't really remember making the decision. I just sorta . . . started doing it." Then grinned at how impressive this all made him feel. "Could you tell the Committee I'm not backing down in my decision to bond Sasuke? We're really starting to connect, and I'm dead serious about him. I won't screw it up. I've been working my ass off."

The man's expression grew strange. "Yes, I've been watching your progress ever since Tsunade started taking an interest in you. I must say, your raw potential is tremendous." He straightened. "But I've taken enough of your time." He paused before exiting.

"This conviction of yours will carry you far. You don't waver in the face of adversity. It is exactly this which will see you persevere."

Then he was gone, and Naruto stared after him in surprise. _Wow. That sounded a helluva lot like encouragement._ Shrugging, pleased by this inexplicable turn of events, Naruto returned to finishing his task. _Maybe he'll tell the stupid Committee to get the fuck off my back and accept that me and Sasuke are happening._

 _I don't give a fucking shit who says we can't._

~o0o~

"You might be surprised to hear what it is Kakashi's had Sasuke working on."

Already impatient, Itachi forced himself not to show it. "What?"

"Linking with two Controllers at once."

Itachi managed not to roll his eyes. "Impossible."

"You'd think. Sasuke did it."

This time, Itachi couldn't fully control his features. He felt a muscle in his cheek twitch. "Thank you," he said, terminating contact.

When the screen went dark, Itachi leaned back and stared blankly at the far wall. _Sasuke did it. He linked with two Controllers at once. That's impossible._

A whirlwind of possibilities sprang up in his mind. Oh, the doors this opened. _If I and one other Controller could_ bond _with him, imagine how much more quickly I could accomplish my goal._

Of course, being able to do a thing and being able to do it _well_ were two different things. _I suppose I will have to content myself with waiting._ Turning back to the monitor, he typed in a few codes. A geometrical image sprang up, one with various lines and blinking lights. It was a comfortable, familiar sight. He watched some of the lights move and counseled himself to be patient.

 _I've been waiting four years. I can wait a few more weeks._


	17. Truths and Promises

There's some stupid teenage angst ahead (lol). And this is a SUPER long chapter.

* * *

 **Driven to Extremes**

"I should have stayed," Iruka said after a rather long pause.

Kakashi gave him time to digest all he'd just told his love, but at these words he shook his head. "You have students who need you at home. Sasuke's okay. Somehow, he's actually doing very well."

His partner's gentle face broke into a smile. "Don't tell me you don't know why."

Kakashi snorted. "Oh, I know why."

On the comm screen, Iruka leaned back in his chair. "The effect Naruto has on people is powerful. His optimism and conviction are contagious."

"Can't say I have any complaints," Kakashi agreed. "Sasuke seems happy. I'm a little jealous that a kid managed in a month what I couldn't do in four years."

Iruka chuckled. "You're Sasuke's father-figure. Of course he'll rebel against you and be a pain in the ass. It's a rite of passage. And from what I saw while I was there, Sasuke's beginning to develop new feelings which confuse and excite him. It's completely different than his emotions toward you, so don't be too hard on yourself."

With a sigh, Kakashi nodded. "Cerebrally, I know. But in my heart, I feel betrayed."

By the twitch of his kissable lips, Iruka was trying not to smile. "Poor thing. I'm sorry I'm not there to make it better."

Kakashi made a theatrical show of agreeing. "Yes, I could literally fuck my cares away. My ungrateful child has abandoned me at last."

Iruka snorted. "Back to the matter at hand, what have you and Tsunade- _san_ decided to do?"

"She's still tracking Itachi, but so far the bastard's doing what he does best and eluding us," Kakashi replied. "She's waiting to nail Kabuto. We both think he might not be working alone, seeing as his role in The Academy isn't particularly important. He wouldn't have unlimited access to student schedules, and that's something our real rat would need. If he doesn't slip up and reveal his accomplice, we'll resort to more straightforward means."

Something Kakashi wished for. He would love to . . . extract information from Kabuto.

Judging by the expression on Iruka's face, his partner could guess his gruesome thoughts. The gentle Coordinator leaned forward a little. "Please don't do anything on your own," he said softly.

For a moment, Kakashi resisted making that promise. Refusing would hurt Iruka; he knew his somewhat unpredictable tendencies were a source of constant concern to his lover. So he yielded. "I won't."

His Coordinator relaxed, a tender smile blossoming. "Thank you. I'm going to take an extended leave of absence from school in two weeks, so wait until I'm there to go after Itachi. I should be with you; and I want to be there for Sasuke, as well."

To this, Kakashi had no protest. He nodded. "Of course. Sasuke's impatience has waned now that he's successfully accomplished the impossible. And wonder of wonders, he got Naruto to open up about the Kyuubi. Now he wants to link up with the kid and use his third form, so that's been his main focus."

Iruka shook his head. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I remember a certain someone agreeing to whatever I wanted so I'd bond with him at the end of our first year at The Academy."

Kakashi grinned. "And I agreed to a lot of stupid shit, too. You and I caused a fair amount of ruckus."

Another lip-twitch. "I wanted to see how far you'd go for me. You went too far."

"I always do when it comes to you," Kakashi said, unrepentant.

"I'm amazed how history's repeating itself with those two," Iruka murmured.

Kakashi couldn't disagree. During his and Iruka's first year, Kakashi had been the number one Controller. Every instructor gave him special attention, and there were three Coordinators from high-ranking military families they all but threw at him. He'd linked up with them and practiced with them, but he made no secret of a particular fact.

From the moment he clapped eyes on a certain kind-faced Coordinator, his mind and heart were set. Something about Iruka called to him so strongly he just couldn't ignore it. Didn't want to. So he made an absolute nuisance of himself until Iruka could no longer deny him.

The first time they linked, it was poetry. The first time they made out, it was music. The first time Kakashi fucked him senseless, it was a whole damn symphony. Seriously, the clouds parted and the angels sang.

But Kakashi's decision pissed a lot of people off. Controllers were so much more common their futures weren't normally watched with eagerness. Kakashi was the exception for his enormous power and flawless control. The Committee had actually forbidden him from bonding Iruka.

He'd told them to fuck themselves and bonded Iruka in secret.

They almost expelled him, but the Hokage had stepped in and refused to let that happen. Kakashi, he'd reasoned, was too powerful to lose just because he'd pissed off the wrong people. So he'd been issued a severe reprimand (basically a slap on the wrist) and sent back to school.

The most satisfying part came when Iruka worked his cute ass off and shocked everyone by growing tremendously. By the time he graduated, he was fourth in their class instead of somewhere in the middle. And of course, the pair had had a brilliant military career.

So in no way was Kakashi opposed to Sasuke telling the Committee to fuck off and follow his heart. His concerns were less concrete.

 _Itachi's goal is to bond Sasuke. But Akatsuki has also gone after vessels of demons. Sasuke's interest in Naruto will eventually attract Itachi's notice, and he'll figure out he's got the Nine-Tail sealed inside him. He's a smart guy._

Now that Sasuke had successfully linked with two Controllers at once, Kakashi feared it would make Naruto an equally attractive target.

 _Itachi might force both himself and Naruto on Sasuke and be the one pulling all the strings._ Forcing a bond was extremely difficult, but it wasn't impossible. Not for someone as powerful as Itachi, not for someone possessing a form of Sharingan that could make people do things without being aware of doing them.

He shuddered just to imagine such a horrible fate for the two boys.

"Stop it," Iruka said abruptly, voice low and hard.

Kakashi blinked. "Stop what?"

"Stop picturing whatever grim future you're picturing," Iruka instructed. "I can see it all over your face. It won't happen, so stop fretting."

Unable to help it, Kakashi chuckled. "Reading my mind over such long distances, hm?"

"I know you very well," Iruka said, frowning sternly. "Nothing bad will happen."

Kakashi felt a pang of love and grief both. "You don't know that, love," he said softly. "No one does."

Iruka shook his head. "Maybe not, but don't assume the worst will happen until it does. Until then, keep believing everything will be fine. We will protect them, Kakashi. Both of them. Believe that. Believe in _us_."

 _You do always know just the right thing to say._ Though it was silly and sappy, he put his fingers to his lips before pressing them to the screen. "I've got to go. And think of me every time you fuck yourself."

Rolling his eyes even as he blushed, Iruka nonetheless returned the gesture before ending the call. Grinning, Kakashi pulled his mask back over nose, mouth, and scarred eye. He powered down his comm terminal and headed out of his office to the infirmary.

He was halfway there when one of Tsunade's oldest friends intercepted him. Orochimaru was a strange guy, no doubt about it. Kakashi nodded to him.

"I wonder if I might have a word," Orochimaru said when he neared.

"About Sasuke?" Kakashi said.

"Actually, no," Orochimaru said. "Not directly, at least. I was curious to hear your thoughts about Naruto's intentions to bond with him. I had cause to speak with the boy just earlier today."

Kakashi blinked. _Weird he'd seek Naruto out._ "I'm not opposed to it," he said. "I'm curious why you care."

Orochimaru gave a liquid shrug. "You are Sasuke's guardian. Your opinion will carry some weight with him, I'm sure. But I'll be strongly recommending the Committee stay out of it. Naruto may seem a peculiar match for Sasuke at first glance, and it can't be said they're perfect together. But I see something in Naruto, something I believe will help him accomplish whatever he sets his mind to. I like that spirit.

"And," he said with a cold smile that made his face look even more snakelike, "you must admit no one makes Sasuke work harder than Naruto. Adversity can be just the push an individual needs to go from impressiveness to brilliance."

This was just about the last thing Kakashi would've expected. Orochimaru hardly seemed to care about the students. "I'm surprised you think so," he had no trouble admitting. "You were rather vocal in your dislike of him during the last Committee meeting."

"And I'll be the first to say I was wrong," Orochimaru said smoothly. "There is no happy ending when the Committee decides on its own what's best for students. I believe you and your Coordinator are the perfect examples. All they can do is aid the students in whatever decisions they make. And I truly do not believe Sasuke and Naruto are the worst candidates for each other." He chuckled. "Perhaps not the _best_ , but not the worst. And more importantly, teenage boys will do what they want. Best we support and not force."

Kakashi found himself nodding, unable but to agree. And pleasantly surprised to hear support from such an unexpected quarter. Orochimaru was little more than an advisor on the Committee, just like Tsunade. But being a Program-Head, his voice carried a measure of influence.

"I'm glad you think so," he said. He headed around him. "I'll talk to you about it more later, if you want. I have a meeting with Shizune."

"Is Sasuke all right?" Orochimaru asked at once.

Kakashi waved the concern away without pausing. "Yes. Just going over some details with her about my kid's upcoming physical."

No other comments stalled him, and Kakashi continued on his way. Appreciate the unexpected support he may, but like Orochimaru he did not. Nor would he ever. He didn't like people whose eyes never showed warmth.

In the infirmary, Shizune was sitting in her office. Kabuto was nowhere in sight, which was good. Kakashi would forget his promises and murder the guy on the spot. He strode to Shizune, and she smiled up at him.

"No need to worry, Kakashi- _san_. I've taken over Sasuke's files and told Kabuto that his primary caregiver will see to his medical needs from now on."

Shizune smiled often, and her eyes could not lie. Kakashi leaned against the doorjamb. "What're you not telling me?"

Her smile faltered. "I'm not . . ."

"What is it?"

She sighed. "I don't want you to worry. Not when I'm not sure what it means. But Kabuto did an unscheduled blood draw and test that morning when Sasuke came by for his follow-up. It was unnecessary, he was simply supposed to take blood pressure and vitals and ask a few questions."

Kakashi felt his own blood pressure creep higher. "And?" he said tightly.

"Well," she hedged, "he didn't record the results. He made sure to erase them. I also found a syringe needle in that day's medical waste. I found trace amounts of . . . odd things."

"What?" Kakashi demanded, forcing himself not to charge into the room and throttle her for being cryptic.

"In a normal patient," she said, pulling up some readings on her holo screen, "nothing too worrying. Some hormones and vitamins, a mild steroid to increase appetite and boost hormone production, all things that are good for a growing boy suffering from mild malnourishment. However, I also found traces of an antibiotic. Again, not too alarming. But this particular antibiotic is aggressive and will cancel out the plasma treatments Sasuke is on. There's no way Kabuto could not know that."

Anger changed instantly to something more like alarm. "So he gave Sasuke something that could counteract Sasuke's anti-hemophilia medication?"

"Yes," Shizune said softly. "And he gave it to Sasuke days ago. It would well have worked through his system by now. It could mean nothing, but it could mean that Sasuke's plasma count is dangerously low now. His case is classified as severe enough, I don't think I need to stress how dire this could be."

She hesitated. "I didn't want to do anything without talking to you. And I really don't want to alarm Sasuke. What would you like to do now?"

For several moments, Kakashi's mind spun. It finally focused on one single thing. "Why would Kabuto give him hormones?" Unfortunately, he knew all too well the implications of that. During Sasuke's rehab, he'd been given frequent injections of hormones and hormone boosters to regulate the chaos drugs had done to his body.

By Shizune's expression, she was thinking the same thing. "I don't know. Kabuto erased all results of the blood test he did. There wasn't enough on the syringe needle to test, either. And Kabuto must have destroyed the sample he took."

Whirling, feeling a terrible mix of dread, fury, and grief, Kakashi paced. He desperately needed an outlet for this anger, and he didn't want it to be Sasuke. _If he did a blood test and saw the kid's hormone levels all over the place, and he asked if Sasuke was using something again, then he'd have a legitimate reason to give Sasuke whatever would actually help him and sneak in that antibiotic with Sasuke never questioning._

But why would Kabuto give him an antibiotic?

"I'll bring Sasuke in here," Kakashi said, mind made up. "If his plasma count is down, that can't be ignored."

She nodded. "I'll get the test ready, but if his count is low enough, I'll have to do a transfusion."

"Fine," he said, stalking to the door.

 _If Kabuto has caused him any real harm, I don't care what you say, Tsunade. I will fucking kill him._

 **~o0o~**

"Man, you're the talk of the damn school," Suigetsu whined. "None of the other Controllers are even looking at me now."

Sasuke gave him a flat look. "It's because you can't link up right now, not because of me."

The platinum blonde looked down at his arm, still resting in its sling. "Oh, you think?"

Sitting altogether too close to Sasuke on his immediate left, Naruto snorted. "Dude, seriously. Could your shit be any less together?"

"Oh, if it makes you feel better, raven," Suigetsu totally ignored the blonde Controller, "Neji apologized to me." He leaned over and smooched Sasuke on the cheek. "So don't be mad at him anymore."

Sasuke jerked back with a glare. "I'm not. Idiot."

Naruto snorted. "I'm glad he calls someone besides me 'idiot'."

"I came here because you said you wanted to practice some meditation exercises Tsunade taught you," Gaara said, voice very even and toneless.

Which Sasuke knew to mean he was pissed off. He couldn't find it in himself to feel the same. Normally he thought he would be, but this comfortable atmosphere was just so . . . nice. He was a little too aware of Naruto's nearness and warmth, but he didn't feel awkward having him there. Gaara and Suigetsu were largely responsible for that, their body language stating loud and clear they accepted Naruto as part of the group.

The blonde Controller leaned back and stretched, quite deliberately brushing his fingers over the back of Sasuke's neck. "Yeah, yeah. But a few of our friends heard about this and wanted to join in, so I'm waiting for them."

Suigetsu straightened. "Ino and Sakura? I love those two. Please say they're coming."

"Yeah, they're coming."

"Oh, and Kiba?" Suigetsu added. "Damn I've missed sparring with him!"

"Him, too," Naruto confirmed, now leaning forward and pressing his nose into Sasuke's neck. "Mm, you smell so nice."

Abandoning all attempts at subtlety, apparently. Sasuke felt himself blush a little, and he gave a half-hearted shrug that didn't do much to dislodge the touchy-feely blonde. Suigetsu nodded. He immediately grinned and did the exact same thing on Sasuke's other side.

"Yeah, he does. He always smells nice."

A shudder raced up Sasuke's spine at the ticklish sensation. With a growl, he jumped to his feet and relocated to Gaara's side. Which made both blondes pout. Fortunately, the private sparring room's door opened just then. Sakura and Ino came in, followed by Kiba and Hinata. Which was quite a crowd.

Sasuke, however, found himself zeroing in on Hinata. Her pale eyes went right to Naruto. She immediately blushed and placed herself at his side. Right in the spot Sasuke had vacated, if not _quite_ as close. Naruto, the oblivious idiot, draped his arm around her shoulders.

"Hi, Hinata!" he chirped. "How you been doing?"

"Me and her have kind of gotten pretty good together," Kiba piped up, "though we haven't practiced as much since I been working with Sasuke and Sakura." He winked at Sasuke.

Too angry to feel the normal pleased sort of embarrassment, Sasuke glared at Naruto. Who didn't notice at all.

"You're gonna be pretty awesome," the blonde said. "I see you creeping up the ranks. You better watch out, Gaara, she'll kick you out of the number one slot if you keep being lazy."

Hinata looked like an overcooked lobster by now, and Gaara's expression went impossibly blanker.

"Can we get started, please?" Ino demanded. "Some of us want to get in some more sparring before the end of the night."

As the friends settled in to work, Hinata leaned a little closer to Naruto. Sasuke just barely heard her whisper,

"Could I talk to you?"

The blonde gave her a surprised look before nodding and standing up. Without so much as a backward glance, Naruto followed her out of the room. Aware of Gaara's eyes on him, Sasuke managed to last about two seconds before he got up and left, too. No one else paid any attention.

He didn't have to go far. Hinata and Naruto were right around the corner, so Sasuke ducked out of sight just in time to hear Hinata stammer,

"I-I really li-ike you, Naruto- _kun_. Not many people have believed in me, but you . . ." she trailed off and blushed impossibly brighter. "I hope you-you'll consider -"

A resurgence of jealousy flared up in Sasuke, ugly and hot. Naruto, however, just smiled as he cut Hinata off by putting his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm flattered," he said, calm and gentle, "and I like you, too. As a friend."

Hinata's entire posture crumpled. "I-Is there someone else?" she all but whispered.

Still with that surprisingly gentle smile, Naruto nodded. "Yeah, there is. He's kind of jerk and real fussy and sorta high maintenance."

It took nearly more self-control than Sasuke possessed not to fly around the corner and lay Naruto flat with a kick to the gut.

"But I'm crazy about him," Naruto said, low and tender and filled with utter conviction. "He's the only one for me. We'll be bonding at the end of this year."

An altogether different emotion now flooded up into Sasuke. A more confusing one. Something embarrassed, anxious, and weirdly fluttery. He felt himself blushing like mad.

"So I can't consider anyone else," Naruto concluded, squeezing her shoulders before lowering his hands. "I'm sorry. But don't you dare feel defeated, you hear? You're a fucking amazing Coordinator. Any Controller would be crazy lucky to have you. And I know more than one who feel that way." He winked.

Hinata's blush had faded, but this made it return with a vengeance. However, the despair about her countenance seemed to have lifted a bit. She gave him a shy smile before suddenly throwing her arms around him. He didn't hear her whisper, " _Thank you,"_ so much as see her lips move.

Then she let go of him and whirled. Sasuke saw the tears shining, but they didn't fall as she jogged down the hall. To his consternation, he felt a deep stirring of sympathy toward her. _What the hell. Just two seconds ago I was mad, and now I'm feeling sorry? It's not my fault Naruto chose me._

"Poor girl," Naruto abruptly said. "Never had a chance. Ne, Sasu~ke?"

Sasuke froze. His whole body went both cold and numb, and he watched in a kind of horrified stupor as Naruto slowly turned and faced him. His lips stretched wide in a shit-eating grin, and he stalked toward the raven with predatory intent oozing from every pore.

The impulse to back away was so powerful Sasuke found himself obeying without further thought. He only made it three steps before his back softly collided with the wall behind him. In moments, Naruto had him caged between it and his own body, one arm on either side of the slightly shorter teen.

Naruto made a tsking sound, shaking his head. "Listening to her put her heart on the line confessing her feelings to me," he said, voice low and resonant, "knowing I'd turn her down because of you. What a mean thing to do."

"Ho-ow was I supposed to know she'd confess something like that?" Sasuke demanded, hating the hitch in his voice.

The blonde took odd little half-step made Sasuke's knees bend in response, and this allowed Naruto to loom over him. "Then why did you follow me?" Naruto purred, so close their noses were almost touching.

Quickly becoming the question of the year. Sasuke couldn't begin to explain his nervousness, but it was making his pulse race with excitement. His jaw seemed to be sealed closed, and he couldn't find his voice.

Naruto's face came even closer, but he turned it a bit to the side so his cheek slid alongside Sasuke's. It put his lips right on Sasuke's ear. "Did you just want to hear me say it?"

"If you knew I was there, why did you say those things about me?" Sasuke snapped, pleased to rediscover speech.

A low chuckle, warm and deep. "How could I not? I almost laughed, picturing your indignation."

Mind spinning, Sasuke felt his knees buckle further when Naruto took another half-step forward. It upset his balance, and his hands flew up to grasp Naruto's arms to keep from falling. What was this? Where had this dominant, confident, _sexy_ Naruto come from? Where was the obnoxious, loud idiot?

The blonde swept him upright into a tight embrace. His mouth had never lost contact with Sasuke's ear, and he nipped around the shell. "You're so cute, Sasuke. You have no idea how cute you are. I just can't fucking resist you." Those last words came out almost a growl, dark and animalistic.

It set Sasuke's skin alight with shivers, and his mouth opened to spill a faint moan of excitement, arousal, and nerves. He vaguely heard Naruto mutter a faint, _"Fuck_ ," then that mouth was on his. Biting. Sucking. Demanding. A single long stride forward had Sasuke pinned against the wall with a knee between his thighs. His balance well and truly deserted him, and he had to struggle to find it again.

Completely unable to help the impulse, Sasuke opened up a flow of _chakra_. An invitation to the Controller to link with him. Red, red, red washed over him, invasive and intrusive. It had never felt more so. Naruto nearly sounded angry with the incoherent growling, and Sasuke wondered if more than just the Kyuubi's _chakra_ had merged with Naruto.

 _Are parts of its personality mixed in, too?_

It was a strangely frightening and exciting thought.

Gathering a little _chakra_ into his left hand, Sasuke drove his fist into Naruto's gut. The older teen let out an incredibly satisfying _'Oomph!_ ' and staggered backward, doubling over. Sasuke straightened and wiped the blonde's saliva off his lips, lifting his chin.

"I told you," he said frostily, "not until you spar with me using your third form."

Naruto gave him a wounded glare. "You never said I couldn't kiss you," he grunted, sounding winded.

"If you want to kiss me," Sasuke said, brushing past him to go back to the private sparring room, "then ask. I'm not a chew toy."

Arms wrapped around him from behind, dragging him against Naruto's chest. Seriously, he was only sixteen, so why did he already have the body of a man?

"I'm sorry," Naruto murmured, burying his nose in Sasuke's hair. "I was kinda being a jerk. I'm sorry, Sasu~ke."

"Kind of?" Sasuke repeated, pushing half-heartedly at the strong arms caging him. Naruto actually released him, and Sasuke turned to give him a long look. "I don't like it when you treat me like that. Not where anyone could see." The words brought a slight blush. Behind closed doors, he had no problem with it at all. But in a public place, it made him feel . . .

Like a possession. There was a time and a place, and this was neither.

Naruto had the decency to look contrite. He slowly reached over and took Sasuke's hand, lifting it to his lips and kissing over each knuckle. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Mollified, Sasuke felt his temper subside. He didn't make Naruto let go of his hand, instead using the hold to tug the other toward the private room. "Come on."

They only got a few steps. "Sasuke," Kakashi's voice called.

The raven halted, looking up to see his guardian striding toward him. Realizing he was still holding Naruto's hand, Sasuke felt yet another blush, but he didn't let go. "Yeah?"

Kakashi's unmasked eye smile down at Naruto. "Go ahead and join your friends. I need to talk to my kid about something for a while."

Hopefully about Itachi, Sasuke thought with a measure of anxiety. Naruto squeezed his hand, looking reluctant to let go.

"See you soon," he said as he trotted back to the room.

Kakashi put an arm around Sasuke's shoulders and steered him down the hall. "This is about Itachi," he said, "if a little indirectly. The team looking for him hasn't been able to discern his location, but something has been brought to light. Something you need to know."

Sasuke's heart leaped, and he didn't shrug out of the hold as he followed his guardian. The man, however, didn't go on. Trying to be patient, figuring Kakashi wanted a private place to talk, he held his tongue. Presently, their destination became plain; and only now did Sasuke resist. He immediately tried to pull free, but Kakashi's arm tightened and wouldn't allow it.

"Why are we going to the infirmary?" Sasuke demanded, only barely managing not to drag his feet like a protesting child.

Once inside, Kakashi took Sasuke into a private exam room. Shizune was waiting, and she closed and locked the door. Sasuke's irritation switched instantly to panic, and he knew his face probably went sheet-white. His hands went ice cold, and he looked up at Kakashi.

Who pulled his mask down. Dread welled up in the raven when he saw his guardian's face. Kakashi's expression said it all. _He knows._

"Shizune's going to do a blood draw," Kakashi said, voice strangely gentle. As soon as Sasuke opened his mouth, he shook his head. "Not to test for drugs. I already know you're still using."

Mouth snapping shut without a sound, Sasuke tried to breathe deeply and normally as he waited for the man to continue. Nausea, sudden and unpleasant, churned so quickly and fiercely he thought he might puke.

"I'm not angry," Kakashi said as Shizune prepared a syringe. "Not really, not in light of what happened."

"We know you were trying to quit," Shizune piped up, "which is why Kabuto gave you a little cocktail to fight withdrawal symptoms."

Sasuke ignored her, desperately peering into Kakashi's face. Why was this time so much worse than the first time Kakashi had learned of his nasty habit? "I'm sorry, Kakashi," he choked out, lungs suddenly feeling too small. "I tried to stop so many times, but it . . . and the nightmares . . . and I just kept . . ."

Two long steps had Kakashi in his space, and the man pulled him into a tight embrace. "I know, kiddo," his guardian said softly. "I know."

Sasuke buried his face in Kakashi's chest and squeezed his eyes tightly closed to keep the tears at bay. _Why is he being so understanding? This is worse than anger._ He clung to Kakashi with all his strength, feeling for all the world like he was drowning. It felt like an eternity of barely managing not to cry before Kakashi gently pushed him back.

"Sit down," he instructed, still gentle, gesturing to the bed.

Shaking and weak, Sasuke obeyed. His eyes watched Shizune's progress, and he saw her coat the syringe in a coagulant. He frowned. A glance back up at Kakashi showed the man watching him closely.

He elucidated without prompting. "Kabuto put an antibiotic in the cocktail he gave you. One that potentially counteracted your anti-hemophilia treatment. She'll be testing your plasma count."

That explained why his anger was on hold, Sasuke thought dimly. "Why?" he asked faintly.

"We're not sure," Kakashi replied as Shizune did the draw, "but it looks like he's been reporting to Itachi."

Sasuke kept his eyes on Kakashi as Shizune ran the sample through a digital reader, the emotions tangling up growing more complicated by the second. Anger joined the party.

Shizune made a vexed sound. "Your plasma count is well below safe levels," she said. "I'm going to have to do a transfusion." She looked at them both. "I'll be back with the equipment."

Leaving Sasuke alone with his guardian. He clasped his hands tightly in his lap to keep from fidgeting, and he forced himself to meet Kakashi's gaze. The man made him wait a long time before finally he spoke again.

"I understand why you turn to substance abuse," he said quietly. "But this is the last time, Sasuke. We're not going through this again."

For some reason, the compassion pushed him over the edge. Anger he could handle. Compassion was too much. He swallowed thickly, and a single tear spilled past his defenses. Finally, he uttered the promise he'd always refused to make before.

"I won't use again."

Kakashi kept him waiting for another long moment. Then his whole countenance seemed to relent, and he reached out to enfold Sasuke into his arms. Then the raven couldn't hold back anymore. A single tear turned into many, though it may be unbecoming of a teenage boy to cry. He hid it in that strong, safe embrace, and it all poured out of him.

It was weirdly cathartic. Through it all Kakashi made not a sound, one of his warm hands rubbing in soothing patterns across Sasuke's upper back and shoulders. It was a worst-case scenario turn of events, but part of Sasuke just felt relieved. He wouldn't have to lie anymore, and Kakashi's reaction reassured him the man wouldn't just throw in the towel and consider him a lost cause. And give up and abandon him.

Probably, Sasuke thought distantly, the thing that scared him most was being alone. "I-I'm sorry, Kakashi," he half hiccupped, half sobbed.

The arms tightened. "I know," the man murmured, and Sasuke felt him drop a kiss to the top of his head. "I'm partly to blame. I should have recognized the warning signs and tried harder to help you."

Sasuke shook his head vigorously, and he noticed the front of the man's shirt was rather damp. "You have. Just . . . don't . . ."

 _Throw me away._

He couldn't get the words past his teeth, but Kakashi seemed to understand anyway. "Dumb kid," he whispered, and in moments he was on the bed beside Sasuke dragging him fully against him and rocking back and forth.

Tomorrow, Sasuke would be back to normal and be incredibly mortified by his behavior today. But right now, he clung to his guardian and felt overwhelmed by the implications of this discovery, the worry over how Kakashi would punish him, the anger toward his brother he had to go through this at all, and fury at his own stupidity.

But mostly, he loved this man so much it hurt. _I told Neji I wouldn't have survived without him, Gaara, and Suigetsu_ , he remembered. In truth, only one person could take credit for saving Sasuke. For being an unwavering source of strength, comfort, and safety.

For making Sasuke believe that even now, in the face of something so terrible, everything would be all right.


	18. Consequences

I seem to have a thing for torturing Sasuke, lol (Hurt/Comfort is my fave)

Ugh, I hope this chapter isn't boring, I promise I'll eventually get back into action.

* * *

 **Crime and Punishment**

Naruto tried not to panic as he ran full tilt down the halls of the main building. The infirmary certainly hadn't moved, but why did it feel so far away? He burst in to find Shizune right in her office. She smiled when she saw him and didn't even wait for him to open his mouth.

"First room in the recovery wing," she said.

Giving her a cursory thanks, Naruto bolted to the specified room and threw open the door. Sasuke was sitting upright on the bed, Kakashi hovering beside him. Naruto's eyes took instant stock, and he felt a wave of relief. Clearly, whatever the problem was it couldn't be severe. Sasuke wasn't pale or injured or in any obvious distress. There was a clear IV bag draining its contents into him at the inner elbow, but clear was good. That meant either fluids or plasma.

Neither of those things indicated anything immediately dangerous.

Kakashi didn't look up from whatever he was doing with Sasuke's arm, but Sasuke did. He gave Naruto a mild glare. "Do you ever knock?"

Naruto hastened to his side. "Are you all right? When Gaara told me where you were -"

"I'm fine," Sasuke cut him off, voice firm but not unkind. "It's just a plasma treatment."

He looked fine, so Naruto tried to relax.

Until, that is, Kakashi said, "All right, the monitor is installed. If you take it out or if any drugs hit your blood, I'll be sent notification immediately."

Naruto froze, mind beginning to race. _He said that right in front of me. That could only mean . . ._

Kakashi looked up, his only visible eye pinning Naruto where he stood. "I'm well aware of your part in this. I know you've been instrumental in helping Sasuke quit, but the fact that you didn't tell me won't be going unpunished."

"But -!" Naruto immediately protested. " _Sense_ _i_ , if I'd told you, then I would have lost Sasuke's trust!"

The man's whole countenance softened, and he did that squint-eye thing that meant he was smiling. "I know. And believe me, I'm grateful. That doesn't erase the fact that you should have told me. So, since you took it upon yourself to take care of Sasuke by yourself, that will be your punishment."

Naruto blinked. "What?"

Sasuke gave his guardian a highly suspicious look.

"I've already spoken with Tsunade," Kakashi said, suddenly sounding quite cheery, "and arranged for you two to share a room from now on. Naruto, every night you'll check Sasuke's blood monitor and make sure his plasma counts are in the green. You'll also be responsible for making sure he gains back the weight he lost."

Sasuke opened his mouth at once, eyes burning with anger.

Kakashi now turned to him. " _Your_ punishment will be to tutor Naruto in academics. His scores in a lot of subjects are abysmal. I expect them to be pristine by the end of the year."

It was Naruto's turn to protest.

Kakashi once again forestalled them. "I'm being incredibly lenient with you both, so say _'Thank you, Kakashi-sama,'_ and take your lumps."

Subsiding, Naruto exchanged glances with Sasuke. It was true, they could be in a lot worse trouble. Then he brightened. Besides, sharing a room with Sasuke couldn't exactly be considered punishment. Hell, it was like Kakashi was trying to make it easier for him to fool around with the raven and grow closer to him so they bonded for sure.

"Thank you, _sensei_ ," he said, bowing his head and accepting his fate.

Sasuke said nothing, but his stony silence was probably acceptance, as well. Naruto found himself grinning. It was Sasuke, after all.

"Good," Kakashi said. "Now go to class. And you can find your new room assignment on your student accounts. All your belongings will be moved for you, and the door has already been programmed for you two." So saying, he strode out of the room.

Naruto bounded over and threw his arms around Sasuke. "I can't believe he's putting us in the same room! Could we be any more lucky?"

Sasuke grunted, pushing him back. "This still hurts, idiot."

Naruto quickly backed off, but he didn't release him. He cupped Sasuke's elbow and gently turned his arm so he could examine the small, protruding device. He'd never seen a blood monitor before. The thing was so thin it lay almost flush with the skin, and it had a tiny digital screen with numbers that fluctuated a little bit.

"How does it work?" he asked, gently rubbing his thumb on the skin around it.

The raven didn't try to pull free. "It has a needle on the underside," he said. "It's inserted right into the vein so the sensor has up-to-the-moment accuracy."

Naruto shuddered. Nothing like the sensation of getting a shot all the time. "That sucks."

Sasuke shrugged. "My arm will heal around it, and I won't notice it anymore. I've had to wear one a lot thanks to the hemophilia. I'm used to needles."

Leaning forward, Naruto pressed his cheek to Sasuke's forehead. "I'm so glad you're done with that," he murmured.

To his surprise, Sasuke slipped his arms around Naruto and hugged him. "Me too. And I'm glad it's out in the open. I don't have to lie to him anymore."

Naruto squeezed him. "I can't believe how awesome he's being about it." Then he straightened and pulled Sasuke off the bed with him. "But I'm still going to beat him!"

Sasuke's lips twitched. He didn't resist being tugged along. "At what?"

"Everything!" Naruto exclaimed. "I'm going to be a better Controller than him. I'll beat all his high scores, and I'll spar him and kick his ass!"

"Idiot," the raven said, but his affection was audible.

Since Sasuke was wearing his uniform, Naruto pulled him along to the cafeteria. Before entering, Sasuke slid his arm free and put on the black arm cover to conceal the monitor. Their group of friends had already gathered, and Sasuke squeezed down between Gaara and Suigetsu.

Deciding it was all right since he'd get the raven to himself every night, Naruto plopped down by Kiba and Sakura. "Hi!" he greeted everyone.

Gaara looked at Sasuke. "Our room assignments changed. Why?"

"More importantly, why were you in the infirmary all night?" Suigetsu demanded.

Sasuke shocked the holy living hell out of Naruto by blithely admitting to Gaara, "It's punishment. Kakashi found out I was still using drugs."

Kiba, Sakura, and Ino all made choking sounds and stared at him.

He went on to Suigetsu, "My plasma count was down, so they did a transfusion. That's all."

It was unkind to laugh at his friends' state, so Naruto bit his lip and kept his mirth to himself. But really, what a way to deliver such information.

Gaara studied Sasuke in silence for a minute. He seemed satisfied by whatever he saw, and he pushed his plate toward Sasuke. Suigetsu ignored the first comment, fixating instead on the second.

"Your plasma count was down?" he repeated. "Low enough to need a transfusion? But why? I thought Kakashi always kept you current on those."

Sasuke shrugged one shoulder.

Just like that, the platinum blonde dropped it. Naruto had a feeling he was telling Suigetsu he'd talk about it later. He couldn't blame the raven for not wanting to tell the whole table.

"But that means you won't be able to spar with me," Suigetsu whined. "You have to wait a full twenty four hours after a transfusion."

Tucking into the other half of Gaara's breakfast, Sasuke shrugged again. "I'm going to work with Naruto today, anyway. The other part of my punishment is tutoring his dumb ass in academics."

"Hey!" Naruto protested. "I am not dumb! I can't help it if Physics and Astronomy are basically the most boring subjects on the planet!"

Kiba snorted. "I'm with ya there, man. Any chance I can sit in on your tutoring, Sasuke?" He finished his question with that flirty wink.

Normally, it made Sasuke get cute and blushy. This time, not a hint of color rose in those pale cheeks. Sasuke merely nodded. "Sure. As long as you both pay attention. I hate repeating myself."

While Kiba looked disappointed by this lack of reaction, Naruto felt utterly thrilled by it. _So am I now the only person who makes you blush like that, Sasu~ke?_ Then he had to suffer his own disappointment. He couldn't get frisky with Sasuke for another one week and six days. He folded his arms and leaned back, trying not to pout.

"Aren't you going to eat anything, handsome?" Suigetsu asked.

Naruto hopped to his feet. "Shit, I almost forgot about that!"

His friends looked amused as he hurried to get breakfast. He couldn't wait until the free hour after lunch to have Sasuke pretty much all to himself.

~o0o~

Finding the dorm he now shared with Sasuke was as simple as logging into his student account and finding the number. It was just down the hall from his old one. He went inside to find his belongings as promised, and he started putting things away. A pulse of excitement fluttered through him.

 _It's gonna be me and him. Every night. In this room. I can't believe Kakashi is doing this. It's like he's giving me permission._

Feeling jittery with all the energy coursing through him, Naruto made everything look tidy just as Sasuke walked in. The raven paused on the threshold, eyes sweeping around in an appraising manner. It looked exactly the same as all other student dorms, but something was different.

Naruto grinned. "This is our room now."

Sasuke moved to the desk. "I want the top bunk."

"Sure," Naruto agreed easily enough. He planned for Sasuke to sleep in his most nights, if he could manage it.

Setting his books down, Sasuke opened a folder and pulled out a piece of paper. "This is a chart of the monitor's readings. It tells you what exactly it monitors, and what levels are acceptable for plasma, red blood, and white blood cell counts. All you really need to know is the plasma scale."

Naruto skimmed the paper. "It even monitors blood pressure?" he noted.

"Yeah," Sasuke said, heaving a sigh. "Hemophiliacs sometimes suffer from low blood pressure." A brief pause. "I'm sorry you have to deal with this shit."

Looking up, Naruto shook his head. "Don't apologize. I want to be part of _all_ your life, not just some of it."

Sasuke gave him a rather sour look. "Why?"

"We've been over this," Naruto said. "You're my Coordinator."

He blushed. He was really cute when he blushed. "Not yet," he mumbled, but it lacked certainty.

Naruto moved to his side and perched on the edge of the desk by him. "I really wanna kiss you right now," he said. He leaned a tiny bit closer. "Can I?"

Sasuke stood up and walked to the closet. "I'm positive you're physically capable of it, yes."

"Sasu~ke," Naruto whined, following. He kept his hands to himself, though he really didn't want to. " _May_ I kiss you, you fussy bastard?"

"No," Sasuke said. Flat denial. No hesitation.

"Why not?" Naruto whined some more. "I really wanna."

"Not until you apologize."

"What?" Naruto protested. "What for?"

"For the things you said to Hinata about me."

The frustration turned to amusement in an eye blink. Naruto fought not to grin. "But she didn't know I was talking about you."

"I knew."

"But they were all true," Naruto reasoned.

Whirling, Sasuke abandoned his fussing in the closet and raised a fist.

Holding up his hands in surrender, Naruto backed away. This time he couldn't stop the grin. "All right, all right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things."

Sasuke lowered his fist and closed the closet door. "I guess it's fine. I have complaints about you, too."

"What?" Naruto demanded, folding his arms.

The raven didn't answer immediately, going to the bathroom and starting to arrange things to his liking. "You're loud. And obnoxious. And you don't listen. And you're extremely pushy. And a tremendously huge idiot. And you -"

"All right, already," Naruto muttered. "Way to wound a guy. Jerk."

"You did ask," Sasuke's voice drifted from the bathroom. "I, however, had the decency not to say those things to the first person who confessed to me."

"Wait, what?" Naruto said, leaping to his feet. "Someone's confessed their feelings to you? When? Who? Wait, whaddaya mean you didn't say those things to this person?" Then he grinned. "You turned them down because you like _me_?"

Sasuke glided out of the bathroom, raising an eyebrow at Naruto as if he was an idiot. "Obviously. Try to keep up."

Naruto about swallowed his tongue. Then got all giddy. Then about flew right out of his skin. _He likes me. He just said it. Right to me. Didn't gloss it over or change the subject or deny it._ He knew he was grinning like a fool and couldn't help it.

"You like me, huh?"

Annoyance crawled over the other teen's beautiful face. "Clearly, I'm an idiot too."

The jubilation turned to suspicion again. "So? Who was it that confessed to you?"

"Does it matter?"

"Uh, hugely. Spill."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You probably don't even know her. Karin."

Naruto frowned. "I know her. Smart, but kinda quiet. And bitchy."

"And," Sasuke said with an abruptly imperious expression, "Ino and Sakura have both asked me to consider bonding with them at the end of the year. And so has Shino Aburame."

Obviously, it was time to stake a claim. Naruto suddenly wished powerfully that he hadn't been banned from linking up. He'd take Sasuke to the sparring hall and partner up with him in his third form right now, so every other damn Controller could see they had nothing on him. That they were all weak small fry. That there was no way Sasuke Uchiha would choose anyone else.

Because why would he, when Naruto Uzumaki commanded the immense and vast power of a demon?

He realized Sasuke was watching him with something at once curious and cautious. "Did you know," the raven said quietly, "when you get mad, you start leaking that _chakra_? And your eyes turn red?"

Chagrined, Naruto looked away with a grimace. "Yeah. I know. I'm sorry."

He jumped when Sasuke closed the distance between them and buried his fingers into Naruto's hair at the back of his head. The Coordinator clenched his fingers. "Don't apologize. Fix it. It just makes you look weak when you can't control it."

Naruto's body had all kinds of inappropriate reactions to Sasuke's closeness. He could practically feel his pupils dilate as he inhaled the other teen's scent. "Okay," he breathed.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "I mean it. There's no way I'm bonding with someone weaker than me."

It somehow sounded more a plea than a threat. "Trust me, Sasuke," he whispered. "There's no way I'd let my Coordinator down."

Those ebony eyes held his for several moments longer. "Good," the raven said, draping his arms around Naruto's neck and fusing their mouths together.

It was the first time Sasuke had kissed him, not the other way around. Naruto wanted to grab him and pin him down. He resisted, placing his hands on Sasuke's hips and just resting them there. He did use his grip to pull the other teen a bit closer, but that was all. He responded to the kiss and didn't open his mouth until Sasuke demanded it, but he let the younger set the pace.

It was less aggressive, but no less demanding. A very distracting tightness gathered in Naruto's groin, but he tried to ignore it. Then Sasuke ended it with a sharp nip to Naruto's lower lip. His pupils seemed a little too big. He took a few slow breaths before pulling out of the loose hold.

"Now get your books. Kiba will be here any minute."

Naruto groaned. Physics and Astronomy were the _last_ things he wanted to think about. Still, as his arousal wilted, it might be best. He still had five days and one week to go before Sasuke let him do more than kiss.

Might as well be forever.


	19. Pushing Boundaries

KiraKchan, this chapter is again dedicated to you. I think you're this story's muse. ^_~

More angsty-ish stuff ahead.

* * *

 **Monumental Effort**

After one day of tutoring, Sasuke was seriously doubting himself about Naruto. The blonde was an idiot, and he had the attention span of a gnat. It took a matter of seconds for him to lose interest and start goofing off, and having Kiba around only made it worse. Sasuke lost his temper by the minute, which resulted in the two Controllers ganging up on him and calling him a tyrant. Sasuke literally threw Kiba out of the room.

After that, Naruto buckled down and tried harder.

After three days, Sasuke grudgingly admitted (only to himself) that maybe he'd been too quick to judge. Naruto showed he could at least learn. To motivate the other teen, he refused to let Naruto kiss him until his next test scores were at least one grade-point higher.

This threat made Naruto get really serious.

After five days, Sasuke found his equilibrium again. He and Naruto settled into a rhythm. The blonde proved an able student when he applied himself, and Sasuke was actually surprised by how smart he was. He kept this tidbit locked firmly behind his teeth.

Then Naruto brought his latest score for Physics back to Sasuke and had gone from a low D to a high B. It was more improvement than Sasuke had expected. Naruto spent most of the night making out with him, and the next morning Sasuke almost gave him a black eye when he saw the bruises all over his neck.

He settled for punching him in the gut.

Through these five days, however, one thing was never far from Sasuke's mind. Naruto's third form. His curiosity grew daily, especially when he monitored the scores showing Naruto's rapidly improving _chakra_ control. He knew the blonde Controller was still practicing with Tsunade, and it secretly pleased him how hard Naruto was working to improve.

Sasuke kept partnering up with other Controllers, just to keep Naruto working hard. but the one thing he seemed to want more than anything was to partner with Naruto and use that third form. It would strike him at odd moments during the day,

 _I haven't thought of Itachi once today._

There was a time when that probably would have bothered him.

On the sixth day, Sasuke made his way down to the sparring arena after regular classes. This would be the first day when he attempted to actually spar using two Controllers instead of one. Gaara had already agreed to be his opponent, green eyes showing his curiosity over the suggestion. No one except his Controller partners and Kakashi had seen Sasuke link up this way yet.

When he got there, all activity instantly ceased. Sasuke barely managed not to roll his eyes. _I have a feeling Suigetsu opened his big mouth about this._ As he walked to the mat, the gathered students made way for him and then completely surrounded the mat to watch. The excitement in the air was palpable.

It almost made Sasuke smile. _Good thing I'm not naturally shy._

Gaara met him with his chosen partner, Temari. Sasuke silently approved the choice. She was the top Controller of this year, and she wouldn't go easy. As Sasuke made his way to the center, his own two partners silently flanked him. His eyes flicked around the crowd, and he felt a moment of disappointment that he couldn't see Naruto.

 _He'll be mad he missed this._

He could see Neji watching, standing beside their friend Jugo. Sasuke hadn't seen much of him in the last few weeks, but he knew the second years had busier schedules. Gaara gave Sasuke a nod, his expression saying clear as crystal he did not intend to go easy.

Well, that was why Sasuke had chosen Kiba and Sakura. He worked with them quite well by now, having spent the most time with the pair of them. Sakura had completely lost her blushing shyness around him, transforming her into a confident girl who easily assumed control.

The two Controllers each took one of Sasuke's hands. It felt like the gathered students collectively drew in a deep breath and held it. He went down to one knee, and Kiba and Sakura clasped their two remaining hands together across his chest. He saw Gaara beginning the link with Temari and opened himself.

It didn't happen as fast as Gaara's link, but it took only half a second longer. Half the students audibly gasped. Sasuke now held a pair of sleek swords, and Kiba's glowing wolf form rose up behind him. It still took Sasuke a few seconds to stabilize the three of them, but Gaara waited patiently.

 _"C'mon, Sasuke!"_ Kiba said, gleeful as usual.

 _"Kiba,"_ Sakura took charge as always, _"you focus on offense. Attack Gaara directly with Sasuke. I'll focus on defense and make sure Temari doesn't tag us. I'll target her."_

Perfectly comfortable with their familiar patterns, Sasuke spun the blades in a quick arc and leaped straight up into the air. Sakura didn't wait for an attack to form her glowing _chakra_ shield, and the shimmery pink surrounded Sasuke. Kiba remained outside it, the wolf-face of his weapon form gaping its grinning jaws.

Gaara didn't move, arms folded. Temari's large fan hovered open behind him, and Sasuke saw her _chakra_ as she began. Her most basic attack, blades of rapidly moving air, came slashing toward them.

Sasuke completely ignored them, lunging down at Gaara. Sakura didn't even bother with a counter attack, simply letting the blades deflect off her shield. As Sasuke drove down toward Gaara, Kiba's form grew another two heads and lengthened, each snapping out as Sasuke slashed the two blades forward.

Quick as a snake, Gaara's hands began forming the seal for his persistent sand _jutsu_. Kiba reacted at once, the glowing wolf head lashing out. Its jaws clamped around Gaara's wrist and wrenched, a predator shaking its prey. Gaara wasn't unseated so easily, he let himself be pushed to the side. His other hand grabbed the huge fan and closed it with a snap. He swung it like a staff toward the wolf head.

Kiba released him and retreated, but Gaara was fast. The fan snapped open, and by now he had enough momentum. Temari's wind attack sent a powerful gust scything toward him.

Sakura kept up her end of their partnership. She changed the shape of her sphere and made a shield in front of Kiba. The wind scattered, making the other students duck. Sasuke ignored them, channeling some _chakra_ into the soles of his feet to power his lunge forward. Sakura also powered her blades so they glowed pink, but this was only the base of a new ability.

Sasuke changed his trajectory to straight up, flinging one of the two swords down at Gaara. He then quickly formed the hand seal for fireball, but the last one he altered a little. He made a wide arcing motion with his hand, and a long whip of pure fire formed. It raced down to Sakura's blade, combining with her own _chakra_ and forming long spikes. All three of Kiba's wolf heads followed the sword's progress, eyes glowing red.

All of this took less time than the space between two heartbeats.

Gaara flung the fan and leaped onto it, but Sasuke immediately changed course to keep pace. It still gave Gaara enough time to for his hand seal, and sand came pouring out of his gourd.

 _"Kiba, you're more than a match for that_ jutsu _,"_ Sakura said. _"Deal with it. Sasuke, you stay focused on Gaara. Fire isn't a good match against Temari, so let's try our new jutsu."_

Sasuke tapped down on the mat and immediately began forming the seals. Gaara swept the fan back and forth a few times to send a few gusts, but Sakura deflected them. Sasuke estimated he could keep this up for maybe another ninety seconds before the strain proved too much. Actual sparring was a lot more difficult than just practicing moves.

Kiba kept snapping at the fists of sand, tearing them apart. Gaara seemed to realize Sasuke was trying a new _jutsu_ , and he abruptly grabbed the fan and swept it up. In the blink of an eye he vanished. Sasuke felt a bolt of panic.

 _"Stay focused,"_ Sakura counseled, voice soothing. _"He can't get past me."_

Indeed, a microsecond later when Gaara reappeared right behind him and his glowing fist struck down in a blow too fast to avoid, Sakura's shield cracked but held. Sasuke dove forward into a roll as he completed his seal, and the air around his hands began to crackle in high pitched sounds.

Lightning burst, blue-white, up his arms. He plunged the two swords into the mat with all his strength, and like a wave of pure energy the lightning swept toward Gaara with blinding speed. Sand, only fractionally quicker than the lightning _jutsu_ , formed a ball around the redhead.

Sasuke's attack tore right through it, and for the first time since beginning to spar with Gaara many years ago, the redhead wasn't _quite_ fast enough to entirely avoid it. His _chakra_ -powered roll prevented anything but being lightly clipped, but Sasuke still felt a burst of satisfaction. He'd never come close to winning against his best friend.

His satisfaction was short-lived. The powerful _jutsu_ he'd learned from Kakashi proved too much strain. With a grunt he went down to one knee and lost the link. Sakura and Kiba transformed, and Sasuke fought to breathe normally and not do something embarrassing like faint or puke. Or take a crack at doing both at once.

He could hear the other students clamoring and exclaiming, impressed and excited by what they'd seen. Sasuke focused enough to see Gaara, Neji, Suigetsu, and Jugo surrounding him, and Neji helped him get to his feet.

"That was awesome, Uchiha!" someone called out.

"Fucking insane!" someone else agreed.

Sasuke's lips twitched. "I lost," he murmured to Neji. "Glad my audience is so forgiving."

Neji snorted. "But you still did something no one else has done."

"Got enough left to give it another go?" Suigetsu asked, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I want to have a crack at you!"

Rolling his shoulders, Sasuke shook off Neji's hands. "Sure."

~o0o~

Two hours later, Sasuke made his way back to the dorms. Though not exhausted, he didn't have the strength to keep sparring. He palmed the lock and closed the door behind him with a sigh. To his surprise, Naruto was at the desk, apparently working on homework.

He glanced up at Sasuke and beamed him a smile. "Hey! You ready to help me with some of this shit? I left the hard stuff for when you got back."

Sasuke contemplated him for several long moments. He knew with a more powerful Controller, he'd be able to maintain a double bond longer. With his raw ability, Naruto was technically the perfect candidate. Apparently his staring made Naruto shifty. The blonde teen hopped up from his chair.

"Lemme check your monitor."

Blinking and dragging himself back to the present, Sasuke pulled off the two arm covers of his uniform and obediently held out his arm. The skin had healed around the thing, so he didn't even feel it anymore. Naruto cupped his elbow and massaged his arm around the monitor, just like he always did.

It felt kind of nice.

Naruto frowned. "Your blood pressure is a little low. And so is your plasma count."

Sasuke shrugged. "It always happens after a transfusion. Tomorrow morning I have another treatment."

Those sky-blue eyes regarded him with a measure of concern. "How many times have you had to go through this?"

"I don't know. Maybe a dozen." Sasuke eased his arm free and sat down on the edge of Naruto's bed. "I'm used to it."

The other teen sat down beside him. "I don't know why you were even allowed to come to the Academy. I read about the varying degrees of your disease, and yours is so severe you shouldn't be here."

Sasuke gave him a mild glare. "I don't have a _disease_. It's a blood disorder. And it's under control. And I'm an Uchiha." He huffed a sigh and flopped backward onto the bed. "Basically, the Hokage told Tsunade to look the other way and just make sure there were no complications when I became a student here."

He started a little when Naruto took his hand. The blonde cradled it in his own, rubbing his thumbs over the back. "I read that stress can make the disorder worse," he said softly.

His tone surprised Sasuke a little. He turned his head to peer into those blue, blue eyes. "You really went to a lot of trouble."

"I worry about you," Naruto murmured. Then quickly added, "Just a little. You're really damn strong, I know that. But I just can't help it."

Sasuke wanted to snap at him he didn't need pity. He wanted to be annoyed. Neither of those happened. Instead of felt a small rush of pleasure at being cared for to this degree. Reaching up with the hand not captured in Naruto's, he lightly smacked his cheek.

"Don't worry, idiot. Medical Shinobi who know way more than you have said I'm in really good health, considering. Especially since you helped me . . ." He looked down, suddenly inexplicably shy. "You know. Stop using Poison."

Naruto leaned down and pressed his lips to Sasuke's forehead. "I'm so glad you did, Sasu~ke. You really have no idea how glad I am."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I can guess."

Silence fell for a few moments. Then, "Tsunade says I'm ready to practice with you in my third form," Naruto said. "She said my control has gotten a lot better. But she did say either she or Kakashi will be there, just in case."

That effectively changed the mood. Sasuke sat up, pulling his hand free. "What's your third form like? I mean, does it have good offensive and defensive capabilities?"

A balanced Controller was of utmost importance to him.

By the knowing gleam in Naruto's eye, he knew that. "Yes," he replied. "Better than my gun form. You know, it's kind of weird, but ever since I started really working on the meditation and control exercises, I've sorta . . . become aware of the Kyuubi. Before, I just had this knowledge that it was there. Now, I can kinda _feel_ it. It has a definite presence inside me."

That, Sasuke thought as he stared at the other teen, was probably the most unnerving thing he'd ever heard. "Can it . . . do the same?" he asked.

Naruto shrugged, lackadaisical as always. "Dunno. But wouldn't it be cool if it could? I'd be the first guy to have a conversation with the demon sealed inside him!"

Sasuke simultaneously wanted to belt the idiot and be inside his head to know what it was like. "This is the creature responsible for killing your parents."

For some reason, Naruto glared at him. It wasn't a wounded glare. It was an angry one. Almost as unnerving as the earlier statement. "No, it isn't. That bastard rogue Shinobi is the responsible one. The Kyuubi just panicked. Nothing bad would have happened if that asshole hadn't been there to fuck shit up."

The defensiveness in his tone startled Sasuke. "You don't blame the Kyuubi?"

"Why the hell would I?" Naruto snapped.

Sasuke snorted. "Because without it, this conversation would be moot."

Naruto surged up off the bed. "You're beginning to sound like all those judgmental bastards back home, you know that?"

Instantly irritated, Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "In what way? I'm only asking questions."

"You're blaming the demon instead of the fucker who woke the demon," Naruto practically growled.

To see red flare in those eyes pissed Sasuke off. He stood up. "I am _not_. I asked if _you_ did. Don't fucking put words in my mouth. _Usuratonkachi_."

Apparently too riled up to back down, Naruto's glare didn't soften. "Fine. You just want to know what it's like. I'll tell you. Everyone thinks you're some fucking time bomb always waiting to go off. Everyone thinks you're some kind of freak. Everyone thinks you're way too fucking dangerous because you can use such a destructive _chakra_ without being killed by it. Everyone thinks -"

Sasuke took two strides forward and poked Naruto in the middle of the forehead. "You aren't any of those things. What you are is a huge fucking moron."

The red fizzled right out of Naruto's eyes. Reaching up, he rubbed his forehead with an absent expression. "You really don't care, do you?"

If anything, Sasuke was now insanely curious. He realized he was nibbling on his lower lip and made himself stop. "I want to partner with you. Right now. I don't want to wait."

Naruto appeared to deflate. "Sasu~ke, I _can't_. Tsunade would kill me. We made it through one week. Can't we make it one more?"

"No."

For several seconds, Sasuke thought Naruto would cave. He could tell the blonde wanted to. "I don't wanna get in trouble," he said weakly.

Sasuke gave him a long, appraising look. "The monitoring equipment is only in the campus halls," he said presently. "If we go outside, far enough away from the buildings, no one will even know."

Which, of course, was absolutely against the rules and would elicit severe punishment if caught.

A slow grin crawled over Naruto's lips. "All right, Sasuke. Let's go wake the sleeping demon."


	20. At the Edge of Awareness

So I had an evil cliffie last chapter. The suspenseful wait is over! (not really)

* * *

 **Let Sleeping Demons Lie**

 _"All right, Sasuke. Let's go wake the sleeping demon."_

~o0o~

The nearly full moon cast enough light on the open grounds behind The Academy that neither teenage boy missed the lights from the school. They made their way across the lawn far from any witnessing eyes, both perfectly aware of what they were about to do. Of the consequences. One didn't care. The other was too curious to call this off.

Sasuke couldn't help but be a little nervous as he padded silently across the grass. He didn't stop walking until the distance felt safe. Then he faced Naruto, glad of the silvery light by which to see the other clearly.

"We don't really have to do anything," he said. "I just want to see your third form. I mean . . . what it _feels_ like." And ascertain for himself if the Controller had improved at controlling himself.

"Sure," Naruto said with an easy smile. "We can do whatever you want. It's probably best we start slow until we both get used to it." He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. "It always takes me a little practice to get really good with my third form with each Coordinator. So it might be kinda rocky, just to start."

That was true of any new partner. Sasuke just motioned Naruto to move closer and get started. Those warm hands, rather bigger than his own, captured his and tugged him into a loose embrace.

"Whatever happens," Naruto whispered, "I would never hurt you. Just remember that, okay?"

"Of course I will, idiot," Sasuke chided, opening himself up to link.

That angry red _chakra_ , so strange and invasive and appallingly hungry, rushed into him.

~o0o~

The soft beep on the monitor brought Itachi out of his meditation. With a frown, he straightened and looked at the screen. The digital blueprint of The Academy dominated one half, the sprawling grounds beyond the other. Itachi frowned, watching a small red light.

Sasuke had left the buildings and moved beyond Academy property.

Curious, Itachi studied the image for a few moments. _What could you be doing, little brother? It's past curfew. All students should be indoors by now._ Turning his chair, he opened a dialogue box and typed in the word 'Mockingbird'. About thirty seconds later, his personal comm chirped. He hooked the bud over his ear.

"Uchiha," said a raspy voice.

"Sasuke went behind the buildings, out toward the trees," Itachi said without preamble, not taking his eyes off the screen. "Go find out why." He terminated the call and tossed the bud back onto the table.

Utterly without permission, a ghost of a smile crawled over Itachi's lips. _Making me jump through hoops and keeping me in suspense. What a terrible little brother you are._ He leaned back in the chair and waited for the response.

~o0o~

Though Sasuke had rather suspected Naruto's third form wasn't an actual weapon, it still caused a moment of confusion when he looked down to find nothing in his hands. A bright red glow demanded his attention right in front of him, and he looked up with a frown. _What the -?_

There. Sasuke's heart leaped into his throat and he nearly choked on it. Completely unable to help it, he recoiled a few steps. Several things all vied for dominance inside him, including extreme annoyance that the idiot hadn't fucking _warned_ him!

"Naruto?" he gritted between clenched teeth.

The so-called third form was as big as a fucking building. And it wasn't a "manifestation" of the Kyuubi. With nine tails lashing and gaping jaws frozen in a terrifying grin, it _was_ the Kyuubi staring back at him. Its single paw was bigger than Sasuke's whole body.

 _What the fuck were the Shinobi thinking, trying to seal this thing inside a single person?_

The Nine-Tail took a step forward. Sasuke matched it with two backward. It stopped moving.

 _"Sasuke, it's me,"_ Naruto's voice said into his mind. _"I know what it looks like. Believe me, it freaks me out, too. But it's just me. I won't hurt you. So please stop looking so afraid."_

Instantly irritated, Sasuke straightened and folded his arms. "I'm not afraid. Idiot! I'm just completely taken aback. You should have told me you transform into the fucking demon."

The Kyuubi lowered its head, and the grin faded. _"Would you still have agreed to partner with me?"_ Naruto asked, sounding (and looking) pathetic.

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke took the necessary steps to reach the Controller. "Of course, you fucking moron." In fact, he thought to himself, he would have been even more eager. This was truly an unique experience.

Reaching out with a hand that didn't tremble, Sasuke rested it on a huge paw. It almost surprised him to find it warm and furry. Then he looked up into that freaky face, holding up both hands. The Kyuubi lowered its muzzle so Sasuke could cup it.

"You're sure ugly like this," he mused.

 _"Hey! Jerk!"_ Naruto whined.

After a few moments of appraising the situation, Sasuke made a startling discovery. "You feel different like this."

 _"I do? How?"_

Sasuke shrugged, idly brushing his hands over the tawny muzzle. "There's no strain of being linked up. I can sense your _chakra,_ so I can tell we're linked, but you're not causing any drain."

The practical implications were dizzying. _If this is what it's like to use his third form, I could fight with him as my Controller until I ran out of physical energy. I could maintain a bond with him like this for . . . an hour. Hell, two._

Apparently, the same thing had occurred to Naruto. The grin came back. _"What did I tell you? I'm the best!"_

With a put-upon sigh, Sasuke lowered his hands. "You're certainly unique," he conceded. "But how, exactly, is this form well balanced between offensive and defensive capabilities?"

 _"Like this,"_ Naruto said. With one hop, the Kyuubi landed right over Sasuke and hunkered down.

This wasn't at all what the Coordinator had in mind, but being surrounded on all sides by the massive Nine-Tail was . . . effective. "Okay," he said. "Put me on your back and run past the trees." He pointed west, away from The Academy.

 _"Yeah, let's see how fast I can go!"_ Naruto agreed at once.

Giving no further warning, the Kyuubi moved and clamped his jaws around Sasuke's body. He almost yelped at the sudden pressure, but it didn't quite hurt. And at least this wasn't a true demonic body so there was no saliva or bad breath. The rush upward when the Kyuubi straightened was ever-so-slightly nauseating, and he was deposited onto a broad and furry back.

 _"Hold on!"_ Naruto instructed before bounding forward.

With no real purchase, Sasuke just grabbed to fistfuls of fur. It was enough to keep him seated. Closing his eyes, he couldn't help the slow grin. They were moving _fast_. Faster than a galloping horse. Then, with a massive leap, Naruto sailed up into the night sky.

They were _flying_. Sasuke couldn't help it. He just couldn't. He burst into laughter and let go, flinging his hands up. Naruto's voice joined immediately, warm and bright in his mind.

 _"I feel like I could do anything with you!"_ Naruto crowed. _"You're just so crazy powerful, Sasuke!"_

For the first time since meeting this loud, obnoxious, pushy blonde, Sasuke considered what it would be like to bond with him. Seriously considered it.

 _"How long can you maintain this form?"_ he asked.

 _"I'm not really sure,"_ Naruto replied. _"I've never tried to go for more than about two minutes. With any other Coordinator, I've always felt this urge to . . . I dunno. Go on a rampage or something. I just feel this constant strain against them. But with you, what I really want is to protect you and be with you. It's actually strange not to feel the constant battle."_

That struck Sasuke as odd. He resolved to ask Kakashi about it once he and Naruto could officially link up like this. _"We better go back,"_ he said with tremendous reluctance.

 _"Yeah, I guess,"_ Naruto said, spinning in midair.

It almost unseated Sasuke, but he managed to keep his spot. The Kyuubi hit the ground and started running again, eating up wide swaths of distance with each leaping stride. In no time at all they'd reached the place where they'd started, and the Kyuubi once more twisted its head to lift Sasuke in its jaws. More prepared this time, Sasuke didn't struggle as he was set on the grass.

For a few seconds, neither of them moved. Sasuke kept his eyes on the Nine-Tail, not wanting this bizarre but exhilarating moment to be over. There was so much about this he didn't understand, and he wanted to. Quite badly. The Kyuubi's rather frightening visage peered down at him, waiting patiently for their link to unravel.

Instead, Sasuke did something else. He didn't know what possessed him to try it, but quite arbitrarily it popped into his head. He activated the Sharingan.

~o0o~

After terminating the call, Itachi once more leaned back in his chair. Stunned, he stared blankly at the screen in front of him. _Sasuke left with the Controller who has the Kyuubi sealed inside him. After all the years I spent searching for that brat, my little brother found him for me. And linked up with him._

And icing on the fucking cake, the kid actually transformed _into_ the Kyuubi. This was absolutely unheard of. No individual with a demon sealed inside them had any kind of relationship with the creature. The seal was supposed to prevent that.

 _This changes things._ Itachi closed his eyes. _No. This changes everything._ He felt a stab of irritation that he'd learned of this development in this way. There was no way to keep it from Akatsuki for the time being. Ah, well. No use crying over spilt milk. Straightening, Itachi turned off the monitor and rose. Best start damage control right away.

~o0o~

Black. Darkness and shadow spanning as far as he could see. There appeared to be no ground, no walls, no ceiling, no sky. Yet he was standing on something, he could feel it beneath his feet. Maybe he'd gone blind? Wait, what had he just been doing? Raising a tentative hand, he was relieved to find he could clearly see it.

Yet there was nothing beyond his hand. Just black. _Where am I? How did I get here? Am I dreaming?_

A strange, low sound abruptly permeated the air. A sort of growl-ish noise, it reminded him of an engine or motor. Then it grew louder, and Sasuke blinked. No, that was a deep-throated laugh. It filled all the not-space around him, and he realized something horrifying.

Whatever was responsible for that sound must be fucking _huge_.

"Well, well, well," said an enormous voice. _Loud_ wasn't a correct adjective, because the voice didn't make his eardrums ache. It made his very bones shake. "I'm a little surprised you were able to reach me here, boy."

Heart beginning to race, Sasuke spun in a full circle. Nothing. "Where are you?" he demanded.

An impossibly deep chuckle. "Right here."

Whirling, Sasuke almost bolted at the fright he received. He only barely managed to steel himself. _What the fucking hell._ His voice came out in a dry croak, "Kyuubi."

"If you must call me anything, I would prefer it be my name," the Nine-Tail said. "Kurama."

Sasuke gazed up at the monstrous demon, mind racing. _What the fuck happened? How am I seeing him? And why can't I remember?_ The last thing he recalled was . . . asking Naruto to come out beyond The Academy grounds to check out his third form. Then, nothing.

"Am I inside Naruto's head?" he hazarded.

Another chuckle. "An enlightened guess, since you clearly have no memory of what you've done. Of course it would be an Uchiha who sees me. But one so young and inexperienced? That's truly remarkable."

Growing more confused by the second, Sasuke resisted the urge to lose his temper and punch the cryptic demon (seriously, what would that accomplish other than possibly pissing the creature off?). "I don't understand. What I've done?"

"Why, yes," the Nine-Tail said, its jaws opening in a panting grin. "You looked at Naruto in his infamous third form. While you were linked with him. While _my chakra_ was pouring through you."

For a split second, that made no sense. Then Sasuke inferred. _I used the Sharingan. Why do I have no memory of doing that?_ "Why did that bring me here?" he demanded, once more looking around. Still seeing nothing but black.

"You haven't been brought anywhere," the demon said in chiding tones. "You haven't moved."

That made Sasuke feel a little better. "What do you want?"

The demon's grin widened further. "I was about to ask the same of you. After all, _you're_ the one who sought _me_."

If he had indeed activated the Sharingan, Sasuke supposed that was true. "So you're . . . awake?" he asked. "Inside Naruto?"

"Sometimes," the Nine-Tail confirmed. "It is a frustrating experience, I must say."

"How do you know I'm an Uchiha?" he wanted to know.

The Kyuubi moved. It was so fast Sasuke couldn't have avoided it, and his body practically went numb in fear. But all the Nine-Tail did was bump his nose against Sasuke's chest.

"The Sharingan," the demon replied. "Obviously. And you look quite a bit like your older brother, you know."

Completely unable to help the impulse, Sasuke grabbed onto the demon's muzzle and glared into its red eyes. "You know who my brother is?"

Another chuckle. The Nine-Tail didn't try to make him let go. "I do. I know a great many members of your family, in fact. Once, the tailed-demons had a great many dealings with the Uchiha clan. I daresay, that is what made them so feared in the Empire."

Sasuke stared at the creature, mind racing so fast he couldn't keep up. There were just so many implications . . . "What do you mean?" he settled on asking.

"I think that's enough for now," the Kyuubi said. "You're still a bit too inexperienced for this kind of strain. But Sasuke, come see me again when you're ready. I'll be waiting."

Everything faded away.

~o0o~

Their link didn't unravel so much as shatter. Naruto had no idea what happened, but Sasuke just suddenly collapsed. The jarring transformation left him a little disoriented for a few moments, but he vigorously shook his head to clear the cobwebs.

"Sasuke!" he exclaimed, rushing to his side. The other teen didn't stir when Naruto levered him up into his arms, entire body limp and unresponsive. But worse, his eyes weren't closed. Open narrow slits, Naruto could see they'd turned red.

 _He musta used that Uchiha jutsu. But what happened? Why's he like this?_ He gently shook. "Sasuke? Hey, snap out of it, okay? C'mon, beautiful. Show me you're okay."

Nothing. No response. Naruto only lasted another few seconds before panic overcame self-preservation. Yeah, they were going to get in a shit-ton of trouble for what they'd just done. But Sasuke obviously needed help. He didn't care what happened, as long as his Coordinator was okay.

Rising with Sasuke held firmly in his arms, he made his way back to The Academy as fast as he could.

 _Just hold on, Sasuke. Everything will be fine._


	21. Interlude: Dreams and Memories

**Interlude: History Repeating Itself**

 _"Well, well, well. An Uchiha. After such a long time. Tell me, boy. Why have you sought me here?"_

 _He gazes up at the Nine-Tail, impressed by its sheer size but not intimidated. He is well past that. "Kurama," he says, inclining his head._

 _A brief silence. "You know my name."_

 _"I know more than that," he says. "But there are some things I don't know. And I would like answers for them."_

 _"Indeed. I'm rather inclined to acquiesce. But before I do, I have a question of my own."_

 _It is his turn to hesitate. He nods once. "Very well."_

 _"How is it you've found me? You've never even seen my vessel."_

 _There is no harm, he supposes, in explaining to a demon completely sealed away. The only person who could ever learn is the vessel, and no vessel has ever communicated with its demon. Well, he amends, another Uchiha could question the Nine-Tail. But no other Uchiha would think to try._

 _"A version of the Sharingan," he replies._

 _"That is only a half truth," the demon states._

 _Not a question. He sighs. "It is a combination of two variations of the Sharingan." He pauses, wondering if the demon will understand._

 _It does. "Interesting. Who would ever have thought to combine them. But you only possess one. Who gave you the other?"_

 _"That is inconsequential," he dismisses the question. "I believe you asked why I sought you. The answer to that is simple. I have need of the Nine-Tail's power."_

 _"Indeed. It would seem you posses power in significant measure, yourself. I haven't met such a strong Uchiha in generations."_

 _"You will again," he says, grimacing. "Times have changed, Kurama. And there's something I have to protect, above all else." There are a great many things he won't be able to protect, but he can't let that cripple him to inaction._

 _The Nine-Tail's terrible grin stretches wider. "Your conviction does you credit. But tell me. What could I possibly do for you? I am safely sealed away inside my vessel."_

 _"I can break the seal and free you."_

 _A long silence follows this offer. The Nine-Tail gazes down at him, its smile fading away as it appears to contemplate. Presently, "And why would you do this?"_

 _"There'll be time for that later," he says. "All I want from you right now is your oath. If I free you, you will help me."_

 _The Nine-Tail paces a moment. "And what of my vessel?"_

 _He blinks. "Why should you care about the vessel?"_

 _A low, deep chuckle. "It may surprise you to learn this, but we demons develop a sort of fondness for our vessels."_

 _Certainly, killing a vessel is one of the fastest ways to break a seal, but not the only way. So he shrugs one shoulder. "I don't need to harm your vessel to free you."_

 _The Kyuubi's grin returns, a frozen rictus of grim delight. "Then we have a deal, Uchiha. You free me, and I will be in your debt. Whatever this task you've set yourself, I will see it done."_

 **~*o0o 0o0 o0o*~**

Though it was hardly fair to take his anger, frustration, and fear out on Naruto, Kakashi made him go back to his room and warned him to stay. He paced the infirmary's hall, desperately wishing Iruka were here for him to hold. Actually, it wasn't even fair of him to be angry at all, considering all the stupid shit he and Iruka had done together their first year.

None of them had resulted in complete catatonia.

 _He activated the Sharingan and looked up at Naruto while in third form. Why would that have caused this?_

Shizune had brought Tsunade down to the infirmary about an hour ago, and Kakashi was ready to lose his mind. What was wrong with his kid? Had the Kyuubi somehow . . . done something to him? Kakashi knew the Sharingan had been used in the past to communicate with the Tailed demons. Do way more than just communicate, actually. Had Sasuke triggered something?

Just when he was ready to break down the door and threaten homicide of Tsunade didn't _hurry up_ , the door opened. Tsunade stepped out, looking tired but satisfied. She smiled at Kakashi.

"You can relax. He's all right now."

"What happened to him?" Kakashi demanded.

She took a deep breath. "He came into direct contact with the Kyuubi. I sincerely doubt that was his intent, and as such he was dangerously unprepared for the impact to his mind. It's a good thing the Nine-Tail decided to be gentle."

"So he communicated with it?" Kakashi asked after a pause.

Tsunade rolled her shoulders. "I can't say for sure until Sasuke wakes up and answers that question himself." Her eyes darkened. "But it looks that way."

A terrible foreboding welled up inside him. "Thanks," he said distantly, moving past her to the room. She squeezed his wrist.

Shizune smiled up at him. "I'll leave you alone," she said as she walked out.

Kakashi perched himself on the edge of the bed and just gazed down at Sasuke. The kid looked like he was just peacefully sleeping. Reaching over, Kakashi brushed ebony hair off his forehead.

"You don't know this," he murmured, "but your family has quite a dark history in the Empire."

A long, long time ago, the Empire had been the strongest force in the entire civilized world. The reason for that was twofold. First and foremost, Imperial Konohagakure had a small arsenal of Tailed-demons fighting alongside them. And second, the Uchiha clan was native to Konoha.

The Sharingan, that powerful and dangerous ability unique to the clan, could be used to summon, communicate with, and control demons.

During the first great war between the nations, the people of Konohagakure practically revered the Uchiha clan. They were high-ranking military leaders, second only to the Hokage.

Then along came a spider.

An Uchiha ruined everything. History called him _terrorist_ when it mentioned his name at all. He turned the Tailed-demons against Konohagakure. His reasons were murky at best.

It marked the changing tides and began a long and uneasy silence between the clan and the empire. The Uchihas deeply resented how they were all branded for the actions of one. Resentment burned hot and bright in their breasts, and eventually the Hokage of that time tried to make peace.

His efforts ended in dismal failure. A sort of civil war broke out among clans, and a surprising number sided with the Uchiha. The revolt was eventually put down, and the new Hokage managed to forge a fragile peace.

Now, the Uchiha were once again touted as heroes. They were directly responsible for coming up with a way to seal demons. And the Sharingan was coveted by the military. Most barely remembered the fear and mistrust of decades past.

Until Itachi, of course.

Kakashi had actually received orders directly from the Hokage to insulate Sasuke from his family's history. Nothing was to be done that might jeopardize Sasuke's joining the Imperial Army.

With everything that had happened in the last four years, that history hadn't much occurred to Kakashi. Now it awakened with a vengeance, light cast on it by Sasuke's actions. _He just learned he can communicate with the Kyuubi. Something which should have been impossible._

 _How long before he starts wondering what else he can do?_

Raking fingers through his hair, Kakashi vigorously rubbed his hands over his face. Clarity. He needed a little clarity. And sleep. There was no way to keep this information from reaching the Hokage.

 _The direct consequence will be him absolutely forbidding Sasuke from bonding to Naruto. There's no way he'll risk a repeat of two hundred years ago._

And there wasn't much Kakashi could do about it. They were far beyond damage control at this point. He clenched his jaw so hard it hurt, and he forced himself to relax.

"What were you thinking, dumb kid?" he whispered. "You've set something in motion I'm not sure I can stop."

 **~*o0o*~**

 _He turns his head and looks around, and it strikes him as odd that he has a head to turn. Blinking, he finds himself standing in an empty field. It looks as though a brush fire has claimed every green and living thing, leaving the ground scorched. It's also hot, and he's somehow barefoot._

 _He yelps and wishes it didn't burn. It stops burning._

 _Turning in a full circle, he is surprised to see someone. For a moment, he can't quite place the face. Then he smiles faintly. "Naruto. What are you doing here?"_

 _"Looking for you. Dummy." The blonde's voice is light and affectionate, and he leans down and smooches the end of Sasuke's nose._

 _He pulls back with a mild glare, but he isn't really irritated. Actually, he's more bothered that Naruto didn't give him a proper kiss. "Where are we?" he asks, because he feels this is very important._

 _"I dunno," the blonde says, abruptly wrapping his arms around Sasuke._

 _The raven is overcome by the disturbing impression that the Controller just pushed him down bit his throat. Only, he's still standing but now in what looks like a long-dead forest. The trees are withered, gnarled things with blackened bark. It's unsettling._

 _"Sasuke?" says Naruto's voice._

 _Whirling, he peers up into sky-blue eyes. But why does the other look so worried?_

 _"What?" he demands, but his mouth doesn't move and suddenly all he sees is red._

 _Red. He looks down, and he's standing on the banks of a river. A river of blood. He stumbles backward, and strong hands stabilize him. He spins around and almost faints from the shock. Naruto is gone. In his place stands the Kyuubi, the demon impossibly huge in this desolate landscape._

 _"We made a deal, Uchiha," the Nine-Tail says._

 _Sasuke opens his mouth to protest. Like hell he'd ever make a deal with a demon. Especially this demon! Instead, he hears himself say, "No one knows what truly happened. For now, it must stay that way."_

 _"Why bother?" the Kyuubi says. "You've gone to a lot of trouble for no reward. Why not let me handle this?"_

 _"Because you're still sealed away," Sasuke says, and he feels a bolt of irritation that he has to explain. Isn't it obvious? "And because . . . it has to be this way. For now, at least."_

 _The Nine-Tail laughs. It's a terrible sound. "You are a peculiarly twisted child. You remind me very much of Madara. He was just as driven and focused as you. And just as prone to self-destruction."_

 _"Don't compare me to him," Sasuke spits out. "He's a madman."_

 _The Kyuubi just laughs and laughs. "So are you, Itachi. So are you."_

Sasuke flew upright on the bed, chest heaving, heart pounding, eyes wide and unseeing. Images flashed through his mind, fast and chaotic and jumbled. _What was that? What the fuck was that?_ Fear and hate and rage clutched at him, because that dream felt familiar.

Exactly like that terrible night Itachi had first used the Mangekyo Sharingan on him.

 _What did I just see? Did that actually happen, or was it just a dream?_ He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, trembling from too many emotions to even name.

His whole body jerked when he suddenly felt arms go around him. He'd been in this position often enough, waking from horrifying nightmares, to recognize the strong cage of Kakashi's body. He realized he'd been rocking, made to stop in his guardian's arms. He tried to force himself to relax, but it wasn't easy.

"What happened?" he finally croaked.

A slight pause. "You don't remember?"

Pushing against the man's chest until he eased his hold, he peered up into the only visible eye. "I . . . I think I talked to the Kyuubi."

Kakashi nodded. "You did." He ran gentle hands down Sasuke's shoulders, gripping his upper arms. He tightened his hold until Sasuke almost yelped. "What the hell were you two doing, sneaking off campus to link up like that? What you did could have _killed_ you, Sasuke. The Committee is furious, and they're considering expelling Naruto to prevent the two of you from bonding."

Sasuke gritted his teeth; it hurt. But he didn't protest. And he set aside his anger at the Committee. For now. "I had a dream about Itachi," he didn't answer. "He was talking to the Kyuubi. Something about a deal he made with it."

Blinking, looking taken aback, Kakashi regarded him for a moment. He didn't relax his grip. "A dream."

"More like a vision," Sasuke said. "It reminded me of . . . when he . . . used that ability on me."

At this, Kakashi let go of him and reached up to pull his mask down. His expression was grave. "Mangekyo Sharingan can be used to pass on memories," he said after a moment. "Were you seeing one of Itachi's?"

"I don't know," Sasuke replied faintly. "I think so."

Kakashi made a vexed sound and pulled Sasuke into a rough hug. "Well, one thing at a time," he murmured.

Sasuke allowed himself to melt against his guardian. _I wonder who Madara is. And how the hell Itachi talked to the Kyuubi. And how I did, for that matter. And what deal they made._

Only two people knew, and one was far beyond Sasuke's reach. The other . . . _If I talked to the demon once, I can do it again._ And this time, he'd get a few answers.


	22. Belligerence

Some citrusy stuff ahead, and not much plot X3

* * *

 **Backed Into a Corner**

Sasuke sprinted down the halls to his shared dorm room and palmed the lock. He slammed it shut behind him, his anger mollified a tiny bit when the walls shook. "Naruto!"

His roommate leaped off his bed, looking plenty startled. It morphed into relief when he saw Sasuke, and he rushed to him to enfold him in a surprisingly tight and strong embrace. "Shit, Sasuke," he mumbled into the raven's hair. "You're all right. I thought I'd somehow killed you."

Some more of Sasuke's anger fizzled, and he melted into the unexpected embrace. For a moment he struggled against the urge to grab the blonde's face and kiss him senseless. Instead he pushed against the teen's broad chest until he was released. He gazed up into sky blue eyes filled with affection, relief, worry, and a hint of desire.

"Have you talked to Kakashi?" Naruto asked after a few moments of silence.

Sasuke made a vexed sound. "Yes. He said the Committee is deciding whether or not to expel you." He actually felt his lip curl away from his teeth in a snarl. "As if I give a shit what they want."

Naruto blinked, then a hint of caution entered his expression. "What are you gonna do?"

Reaching to him, Sasuke took his hands and turned to press his back to Naruto's chest, draping the Controller's arm across his chest. "I'm bonding with you. I don't give a fuck if they don't like it."

Those arms tightened around him. "What made up your mind?" the blonde whispered, pressing his lips to Sasuke's ear.

There were several things. The Committee being so against it was one. The Kyuubi was another, and he just knew this Controller would support his going after Itachi.

But the first thing he blurted without thinking was, "I like you." Then blushed. But he didn't take it back. It was true. He liked how Naruto challenged him. Pushed him. Made him better.

And he was a fucking fantastic kisser.

As if reading his mind, or perhaps spurred by the confession, Naruto grabbed his chin and fused their mouths together. Since he wasn't facing him the angle was awkward, but a little twist had him in the right position. He wrapped his arms around Naruto's neck and pressed against him, perfectly willing to participate in a moment of intimacy.

The kiss only lasted a few seconds before Naruto broke it, leaning back to look down at him with heated eyes. "You said I couldn't touch you again until we linked up in my third form."

Sasuke's stomach started fluttering. He swallowed. "I did say that . . ."

"And we've done that now," Naruto went on, leaning close again so their noses touched.

After a moment of nerves, Sasuke pulled back and sat down on the bed. "I want you to go down on me," he said, hoping he wasn't blushing, "then I want to try."

Lust made Naruto's pupils visibly dilate. "How about at the same time?" he suggested in a low, husky voice.

Just the thought of it sent heat racing southward. Sasuke tried to breathe normally, but his voice deserted him. He merely nodded, unable to help licking his lips. Naruto's eyes, already darker, instantly tracked the movement. His nostrils flared, and he stalked forward.

It wasn't the first time he'd seen this predatory intent, but now they were somewhere Sasuke could let go and enjoy it. And be more than a little frightened by it. As Naruto neared him, he eased backward onto the bed, leaning back on his elbows. Naruto grabbed his knees and tried to spread them, but Sasuke planted his foot on Naruto's chest and pushed him away.

He bit his lower lip, peering up through long lashes. "I wanna see you naked," he demanded, not at all pleased by how breathless he sounded but unable to help it.

The intent on Naruto's face reminded Sasuke of a wolf eyeing a lame fawn. It was disconcerting how quickly the teen went from fun, likeable, and obnoxious to dark, dangerous predator. It bothered Sasuke a little how much he liked it. It felt like he had no control over what would happen.

It was intensely exciting.

Naruto took the time to undo every button on his uniform shirt, then with an effortless shrug it fell to the floor. By now Sasuke had seen him without one, but his eyes raked over the blonde's torso with renewed appreciation. He had the body of someone four years older, and he suspected the Controller would gain another fifteen centimeters or more in height.

His skin also had an enticing golden cast to it, as if he spent much time in the sun.

A breath of a chuckle from his throat made Sasuke look up, and a dark smile had crossed his lips. "Thinking about how easy it would be for me to pin you down?" Low and soft.

 _I am now,_ Sasuke thought, swallowing thickly and feeling another pulse of arousal.

Naruto licked his own lips, but it was a slow and deliberate movement, not quick and anxious. He undid the button of his uniform slacks and slid the zipper down. It sounded stupidly loud in the small dorm. Then he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of slacks and underwear and pushed them down.

He didn't tease, so the sudden exposure of flesh made Sasuke feel like he'd been sucker punched. It distantly struck him as a stupid reaction. His eyes traveled up and down Naruto's body, and the unfairness of a few things really stood out. Golden skin stretched deliciously over taut, well-defined muscle in his shoulders, middle, and thighs. Sasuke's body was lean, but it hadn't quite lost the lankiness that accompanies teenage-hood.

But Sasuke's eyes kept drawing back to the apex of those strong thighs. He'd never seen another naked male; he barely paid attention to his own body. Naruto was only half aroused, but Sasuke could tell he wasn't freakishly big. Nor was he small by any standard. He had a feeling their first time would hurt (and didn't question the automatic assumption that he'd be the one taking it).

That whisper of a chuckle, then thigh muscle rippled as Naruto took a few steps forward. "You seem to like what you see."

Sasuke flicked his eyes up to the other teen's face, and the blonde looked more amused than anything else. He narrowed his eyes. "How did you get the body of a twenty-year-old man? Steroids?"

Naruto snorted. "Hardly. I just got good genes." He reached down and ran his palm down Sasuke's chest. "Leave the arm bands on. Take everything else off."

Supposing it was only fair they both be naked, Sasuke slowly obeyed. He shrugged out of his own shirt, pushing it off the bed. Then he wriggled out of the slacks and his boxer briefs. Then he laid back, legs demurely closed, knees drawn up. Naruto's blue gaze consumed him.

"For the record," he said in a strained voice, "I think you're much prettier than me. You're just so god-damned perfect."

The comment managed to be more annoying than endearing. Sasuke glared at him. "I am not. You're the one who said my personality sucks."

Naruto laughed out loud, climbing onto the bed on all fours over Sasuke. "It does. It's such a fantastic paradox because you're so cute and sexy. God I love it that you get all shy and cute when things heat up." He leaned down and placed stinging nips all along Sasuke's jaw on both sides.

"Y-you would too if someone looked at you like they wanted to devour you," Sasuke pointed out, wrapping his fingers around Naruto's upper arms and holding on.

Naruto groaned, nuzzling and nipping down the column of Sasuke's throat. "I do want to devour you," he hissed, tongue soothing every sharp connection of teeth. "I feel like some depraved beast. I wanna make you cry and cum until you're crazy with it."

Sasuke's breathing sped up until he was panting, eyes squeezing shut, fingernails digging into Naruto's arms. He was almost fully aroused without a touch to his groin. Just from _words_.

Teeth grazed along his collar bone before traveling upward and finding his pulse. Naruto sucked and nibbled at it, and Sasuke couldn't decide if it was unpleasant or not. Dimly, he thought he'd have another livid hickey. Then that tormenting mouth lifted off him completely. Before Sasuke could open his eyes to investigate, Naruto caught a nipple between his teeth.

"Hnngh, sto-stop biting me," Sasuke whimpered, squirming to make Naruto let go.

The blonde let go of his nipple, shifting back up to nudge his nose right under Sasuke's chin. He pushed up, then bit down right at the junction of his throat. His tongue swiped over it in apology before he finally reared up to fuse their mouths together.

Sasuke immediately bit his tongue in reprimand, which made Naruto chuckle through his nose. Sasuke opened his mouth to properly return the kiss, and their tongues writhed and fought for several moments before Naruto wrenched off and gave him a shaky grin.

"If I don't touch you right now, I'm gonna lose my mind," he said, grabbing Sasuke's arms and yanking him upright. Then he flopped down on his back, piling the pillows behind his head so he was propped up. "Turn around."

Sasuke felt the flush creeping up his cheeks. That would put his ass in Naruto's face. "What are you gonna do?" His voice felt weak.

"Something nice," Naruto said, grabbing the tube of lube from his bedside table.

Deciding it was too late now to go all shy and virginal on him, Sasuke hesitantly turned around and climbed over him. It was just as embarrassing a position as he'd thought, and he was glad Naruto could no longer see his face. He was sure it must be lobster red. He heard the lube cap pop, then a cold and slippery hand wrapped around his erection.

Embarrassment had in no way affected it, and Sasuke's arms buckled. He caught himself by the elbows, and this position was even worse. Desperate for a distraction, he curled his fingers around the base of Naruto's fully-aroused length and closed his mouth around the head.

"Fuck, Sasuke!" Naruto hissed, his own hand tightening around Sasuke.

It should have hurt, probably. It didn't. The pressure was delicious, and Sasuke's whole lower half twitched in reaction. He had to lift off Naruto to gasp in a shaky breath. The pressure on his arousal eased a bit, and that slimy hand started massaging and squeezing rhythmically. Sasuke worked up his nerve and started licking Naruto like a lollipop. It served the dual purposes of working up some moisture so his hand glided more easily and helping him get used to the taste.

Precum beaded up quickly, and Sasuke licked it off. It was a little hard to pay attention with pleasure building between his own legs, so he once more took the head in his mouth and sucked. Naruto groaned, low and deep, and a few more drops of liquid rewarded the effort.

The flavor was . . . different. Sasuke couldn't say he _liked_ it, but it wasn't so terrible he couldn't get used to it. He suddenly wished he could see Naruto's face, to gauge the other's enjoyment.

Then something wet touched his anus. His yelp was muffled by his mouthful, and for half a second he couldn't figure out what had touched him. Then it happened again, and Sasuke's head flew back. A mixture of saliva and precum formed a thin thread between his lips and Naruto's erection before it broke. Sasuke didn't notice.

Naruto had just _licked_ him. _There_. "Wha-what are you-nnnngh!"

The broad flat of the other's tongue swept up and down his cleft, so strange and dirty and embarrassing and Sasuke honestly had no idea if he loved it or hated it. Words tangled up in his throat, so contradictory none made it past his lips. Each swipe pressed more firmly, and Sasuke felt his anus beginning to twitch and spasm. He pressed his cheek to Naruto's thigh.

This was too much. _WAY_ too much for their second sexual encounter. Around and around in his mind the thought spun. _Where the hell did he learn to do this?_ The sounds Naruto's ministrations were wringing from him made him want to die. And then Naruto pressed the tip of his damn tongue right to center of the suddenly blossoming ring of muscle.

Sasuke almost screamed. He choked it off by biting down on Naruto's thigh. It wasn't necessarily so pleasurable he couldn't help himself. It was just so strange, so erotic, so fucking embarrassing . . . He felt Naruto twitch and hoped like hell he'd hurt the idiot.

Why wasn't he stopping Naruto? Why was he just letting him eat him out? That tongue probed deeply for a few seconds before withdrawing, then Naruto grazed his teeth over the sensitive ring before slowly driving back inside. Shakily pushing himself back up to his elbows, Sasuke grabbed the base of Naruto's erection and swallowed down as much as he could.

It prevented him from making any sounds except faint, choked moans. He figured he lacked all finesse, but he just couldn't concentrate. Naruto's hand stroked over his arousal, squeezing from base to tip, milking him, a delicious counterpoint to the tongue writhing inside him.

Cerebrally, he knew he didn't last very long. The stimulation was just too intense, too new, too much. Orgasm overcame him all at once just as the first pulse came from Naruto. Sasuke once more tossed his head back, and he distantly felt cum splatter on his chin and throat. It was a very distant sensation, washed away by the pleasure whiting out his vision.

After a while (maybe ten seconds), he felt Naruto lowering him to the bed. Opening hazy eyes, Sasuke tried to glare at him. A tiny grin flitted over Naruto's lips.

"That's somewhat less effective when you're naked and looking well-fucked in my bed."

He worked up a little more heat this time as he tested his arms. He managed to prop himself up on one elbow. "Do you even know what it means to take things slow, idiot?"

"No," Naruto answered without pause. "I want you. I want you all the time."

Sasuke's glare faded a little. "Are you an animal in heat?" he muttered.

Naruto grinned again. "I feel like it." Abruptly, he bounded upright and scooped Sasuke up into his arms.

Sasuke yelped. "Put me down, idiot!"

"Oh, come on. You're covered in cum. So am I."

"I can _walk_ ," Sasuke growled.

Another obnoxious grin. "You sure? You were shaking like a leaf the whole time I was rimming you."

Sasuke tried to punch him in the mouth. Naruto had to let go of him, and Sasuke leaned one hand against the wall for support. The blonde let him push past him, and he made his way into the bathroom. The sight of his reflection startled him.

Ebony hair mussed, falling in messy locks around his face. Eyes still a little glazed. Perspiration making his skin shine a little. And Naruto's cum streaked from chin to just below his collar bone. Wearing only the arm covers from his uniform, he looked . . .

"You're so hot," Naruto said.

Grimacing, Sasuke turned from the mirror and dug a wash cloth out to dampen under the faucet. He vigorously scrubbed his face and neck. The reaction seemed to bother Naruto, and the blonde hesitated as he accepted the cloth.

"Was that too much?" he asked softly.

Sasuke paused, gazing at him. Remorse was just beginning to bloom. He shrugged. "I've thrown myself head first into everything I've done in the last four years. Revenge, drugs, training." Then it was his turn to hesitate. "I liked it. But can we just . . . get comfortable with each other first? No one's ever touched me before you." Heat rose in his cheeks.

Only a few steps brought them close enough to touch, and Naruto pulled him into a gentle embrace. "Yeah. Of course. From now on, we'll go at your pace."

"I hope not entirely," Sasuke said, leaning back to meet his eyes. "I like that side of you."

Naruto gave him a goofy grin. "Really? I was worried I'd just freak you out."

Sasuke shrugged, reaching up and running his fingers through surprisingly soft golden spikes. "It's a little disconcerting, but it's . . . kind of exciting, too. I like knowing you want me so much." The admission brought another blush, but he didn't take it back.

His expression mellowed into something softer as Naruto leaned forward and touched their noses together. "I just want you to know, I'm gonna take real good care of you, Sasu~ke. I'll never let anything hurt you."

It was something of a foolish promise, given the nature of the adversity facing them. But for now, Sasuke just smiled and laid his head on Naruto's shoulder. The future could wait until tomorrow.


	23. NOTICE

**I'm posting this notice to let you all know, I'm relocating to Ao3. My username is Lotus_Fantasy. I decided to repost "Beautiful Things" there. It will have some edited content to reduce OOCness, but largely it will be the same.**

 **I also plan to move "Butterfly" over to my new account there. This is an older story, so I'm going to edit it and improve upon it. I intend to follow up on my promises to write a sequel.**

 **I will not update this story on FFnet again, but if you want to come find me on Ao3 I look forward to hearing from you. I love you all. 3**


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